What is this new CAPE requirement?
Cultural Safety, Addressing Health Inequity, Professionalism and Ethical Practice (CAPE).
In Australia, the Medical Board of Australia requires all CPD programs to set program level requirements relating to cultural safety, addressing health inequities, professionalism and ethical practice.
RACS has made cultural competence and cultural safety a core competency, expecting surgeons to demonstrate cultural awareness and to behave in a respectful and culturally competent manner. With a key goal to improve the quality of care by eliminating culturally unsafe practices that can be detrimental to patient health and well-being.
The CAPE competency:
Demonstrates a willingness to embrace diversity among all patients, families, carers and the healthcare team and respects the values, beliefs and traditions of individual cultural backgrounds which are different to their own.
Promotes self-reflection, acknowledges their own biases, prejudices and stereotypes and works to mitigate their effects.
Promotes a safe and inclusive health care environment and works to eliminate health inequities.
- Indigenous health - promotes cultural competence and cultural safety across the whole health system in order to achieve equitable healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- fosters a safe and respectful health care environment for all patients, families and carers
- promotes an inclusive and safe workplace for all colleagues and team members.
To meet this standard, CPD participants should select cultural competence and cultural safety once (1), Health Advocacy once (1), and Professionalism twice (2) across all CPD activities, excluding your CPD Plan (Learning Plan).
An example is outlined below of the selections to fulfil your CAPE. This will be fulfilled through doing activities in audit, education or performance review.
CAPE Activities:
Reviewing an article on Indigenous Ear health to fulfil cultural competency and safety. E.g Poirier B, Quirino L, Allen M, Wilson R, Stephens J. The role of Indigenous Health Workers in ear health screening programs for Indigenous children: a scoping review. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2022 Oct;46(5):604-613. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.13291. Epub 2022 Aug 4. PMID: 35924899. This is available freely for download.
Members need to make contemporaneous notes of this activity (reviewing the article) as documentary evidence if they are selected for verification.
Attending the annual Indigenous Health Workshop or watching past workshop recordings through access via the ASOHNS website (use link in button below to access).
Please contact members@asohns.org.au if you require any assistance.
LINK TO ANNUAL INDIGENOUS HEALTH WORKSHOPS
RACS-endorsed activities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Safety Courses: A series of courses (Courses 1-3) to support learning in this area.
Intercultural Competency for Medical Specialists: A course designed to enhance skills in cross-cultural interactions.
Partnership with training providers: Participate in immersive training programs offered by organisations like the Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association.
Personal and community engagement: Engage with cultural experiences such as attending welcome to country ceremonies, visiting cultural centres, or participating in workshops run by local Indigenous councils.
Everyday practice: Embed cultural safety into your daily work by adapting policies, offering flexibility for cultural practices, or ensuring you understand specific cultural customs like "Sorry Business".
Each time a CAPE requirement is met, it progresses in the section titled CAPE Compliance, on your CPD Dashboard.
See below:
It should be noted that CAPE can be met by any activity type in any CPD category, provided the competencies have been selected. If CAPE requirements are not met, then CPD compliance cannot be achieved.
Once you have met the CAPE requirements there are 4 green ticks.
