He taonga te tamariki: exploring healthcare interactions with whānau e kōrero ana i te reo

This qualitative summer internship research aims to:
Explore key components of a child health consultation with te reo speaking tamariki and whānau in a primary health care setting. Specific objectives include:
• Identify the structure that doctors employ in a consultation with te reo speaking tamariki
• Explore te reo speaking tamariki and whānau experiences in a primary health care setting
• Investigate the value of te reo in a child health care setting

Māori models of healthcare consultations that focus on whakawhanaungatanga (e.g. Pitama et al 2007), and enhancing health literacy (Carlson et al 2016) are being implemented in health professional education and practice. Use of te reo has been recognised as a key component of culturally competent health care. However, little research has been conducted on health encounters with tamariki who have te reo as their mother tongue. This is important as our reo revitalisation efforts support growth in the number of children who speak te reo, and our definitions of excellence in health care include appropriate use of te reo in interactions between health professionals, parents/caregivers and tamariki.

Intern - Mairarangi Haimona
Waikato, Te Arawa
University of Otago
Associate Professor Bridget Robson
University of Otago