Aust Crit Care. 2025 Nov 24;39(1):101465. doi: 10.1016/j.aucc.2025.101465. Online ahead of print.

BACKGROUND: Indigenous Peoples are distinct cultural and social groups in Australia, representing almost 4% of the Australian population. Health inequities and poorer social determinants of health contribute to a greater burden of disease and injury. In critical care contexts, patterns of admission and resultant outcomes are known. What is less well known is how intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians approach the care of Indigenous Peoples.

AIM: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of ICU clinicians in caring for Indigenous patients, their family, and the wider Indigenous community in the ICU.

METHOD: An exploratory qualitative descriptive study using in-depth interviews was undertaken. Convenience sampling was used to recruit health professional participants from two ICUs in one metropolitan health service in Adelaide, Australia. Individual interviews were conducted in-person, using an interview guide to prompt exploration.

FINDINGS: Twenty clinicians working in the ICU participated in this study, and three primary themes were identified: (i) contextual factors, such as acknowledging cultural difference and the implications for care; (ii) priorities for ICU care, which encompasses access to health care, establishing and maintaining trust and optimising communication and the support of Indigenous staff; and (iii) building understanding, which refers to the importance of health literacy for Indigenous patients and clinicians’ desire for specific education and training to enhance care of Indigenous patients.

CONCLUSION: These findings exemplify clinicians’ desire to meet the needs of Indigenous patients in the ICU, their family members, and the wider community. However, striving for care that is culturally sensitive must be underpinned by an organisational commitment embedded in policy and action. Greater funding and alternate models of care that overtly embed Indigenous staff into ICU care teams are essential, not just to support our Indigenous Peoples, families, the wider Indigenous community, and the clinicians who care for them.

PubMed:41289707 | DOI:10.1016/j.aucc.2025.101465