Research has shown that family-centred care has hit a crisis; professionals do not undestand its importance and universal guidelines have been considered unethical. So how does a 30-year-old practice change?
There has been little research into Australian Indigenous families’ use of a tertiary paediatric hospital in Western Australia. Scrutiny of existing scientific literature and the reports of government and non-governmental organisations from 1995 onwards did not identify clear referral pathways, health-seeking behaviours or preferences of Indigenous families for a culturally safe hospital model. Family-centred care requires an understanding of how Indigenous children and families arrive at a health service, and the cultural and practical implications of large distances and of leaving other family members behind.