Kaupapa Māori research underway with $2.3m joint funding
New jointly funded research will take a kaupapa Māori approach to injury prevention, rehabilitation, and ACC access for our kaumatua (Māori elders).
In 2020 we announced our partnership with Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) to invest in research about equitable health outcomes for ageing Māori. Ageing Well National Science Challenges recently joined the partnership, making further funding available.
Dr Ella Cullen (Ngāi Tuhoe, Ngāti Whakaue), ACC Research Team, says Māori have told us they face barriers to accessing our services, and services aren't always designed with Māori.
"This new research can help identify and address some of the barriers to access.
"It can also offer insights into injury prevention and rehabilitation that works for kaumātua (Māori elders)."
Dr Cullen says building the kaupapa Māori evidence base, with a focus on our kaumātua, is a strategic research priority for ACC.
"The research will support us to make evidence-informed decisions about our programmes with ageing Māori. This will put into practise Whāia Te Tika, our Māori strategy.
"We want to enable equity of access to ACC and a positive experience with us, leading to better health outcomes for our kaumātua."
The recipients
ACC, HRC and Ageing Well have awarded the funds to two recipients:
- Katrina Bryant (Waitaha, Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe), of Te Rūnanga o Ōtātou (TRO).
- Katrina has been awarded $881,944 for Taurite Tū: achieving equitable injury prevention outcomes for ageing Māori. This is focused on a kaupapa Māori approach to falls prevention and rehabilitation.
- Falls are a leading cause of injury with major impacts for ageing Māori. Researchers from TRO and University of Otago have already developed an effective kaupapa Māori falls prevention programme template, Taurite Tū. Initial Taurite Tū research outcomes show significant improvement in falls risk and excellent uptake of the programme among older Māori. Katrina will further investigate how the Taurite Tū programme template can be effectively used in other rūnaka (tribal council) which ACC can later implement.
- Joanna Hikaka (Ngāruahine), of The University of Auckland and Waitemata District Health Board.
- Joanna has been awarded $1,421,318 for her project: Whaioranga te Pā Harakeke: Iwi-driven injury prevention and recovery for Māori.
- The project will use paeārah (health navigators) who come from their own iwi and are upskilled to facilitate health delivery. It'll also expand their roles to address injury prevention, ACC service access, and rehabilitation. Local hauora providers will facilitate paeārahi integration with older Māori communities across Te Arawa iwi boundaries.
- The project aims to build an evidence-base to enhance older Māori access and engagement with ACC services. It'll also identify iwi-designed solutions to increase ACC responsiveness to older Māori.
