Phase 1 Hui – An Opportunity to Comment

Kia ora koutou katoa.

We’re in the middle of our Phase 1 hui/meetings, both virtual and face-to-face. The hui have been quite remarkable, with many participants engaging online, at a library in Gore, in Dunedin with students, at several conferences, and at marae in Invercargill and Hamilton. The stories shared with us show that spirituality and wairuatanga beliefs and care are fundamental to positive health outcomes.

For those who haven’t been able to attend these hui, here is an opportunity to respond to the questions we discuss. At the hui, we provide an overview of the project, highlighting the rationale, which includes ongoing challenges within the healthcare system, the high proportion of spiritual and religious individuals in Aotearoa New Zealand, the inadequacies of our healthcare system for Māori, and a growing awareness of the importance of holistic care, including wairua/spirituality. Māori models, such as Te Whare Tapa Whā and the Samoan Fonofale model, emphasise this holistic movement. We know from a growing body of research that addressing spirituality positively impacts people's wellbeing; however, there is “still a tendency to underrate or ignore spiritual needs within the biopsychosocial paradigm” (Kruizinga R., et al., 2018).

During the hui, we discuss the team and the project phases (see other parts of the website for details). We then engage in a discussion around these questions:

• Share your thoughts about your experiences of spirituality and, or wairuatanga in healthcare settings (either as a patient or working in healthcare).

• What worked well, and what could be improved?

• Do you have any other thoughts?

We’d love to hear your ideas and feedback in the comment field below!

Noho ora mai / Keep well

Richard and Moana (co-leads on the project)