Real Ways of Working Together: co‐creating meaningful Aboriginal community consultations to advance kidney care

Abstract

Abstract Objective: To describe a process of meaningful Aboriginal community engagement that repositioned and valued community members’ knowledge(s) and lived experiences while strengthening relationships, research processes and outcomes. Background: Aboriginal Australians have the oldest continuous culture in the world, yet due to effects of colonisation, experience some of the world's poorest health outcomes. The AKction [Aboriginal Kidney Care Together – Improving Outcomes Now] project brought together Aboriginal people with lived experience of kidney disease, clinicians and researchers to improve kidney care. Methodology: Using Aboriginal methodologies of Ganma and Dadirri within community‐based participatory action research (cb‐PAR), a core advisory group of Aboriginal people with lived experiences of kidney disease worked closely with clinicians and researchers. Results: Three community consultation workshops that deeply valued Aboriginal knowledge(s) were co‐created. Community members formed a reference group, established partnerships and influenced health research, policy and service provision. Non‐Indigenous researchers engaged in critical self‐reflection and levelling of Western‐Aboriginal and clinician‐consumer power imbalances. Conclusions: Deeply respectful community engagement is possible through co‐creation and cb‐PAR. It results in multiple positive impacts and beneficial relationships between community members, clinicians and academics. Implications for public health: Meaningful consultation with Aboriginal communities guides culturally safe research processes, health policy and service delivery.

Keywords

• Chronic kidney disease
• community engagement
• co‐creation
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health