Culturally informed practice and physiotherapy

Australia is culturally diverse, with more than half (52.2%) of the population born overseas or having at least one parent born overseas. 1[ 6 _ T D $ D I F F ] Since 2005, migration has been the main driver of Australia's population growth, contributing approximately 60% of overall growth. 1 While historically the bulk of Australia's overseasborn population comprised migrants from Anglo-Celtic descent, the dismantling of the White Australia Policy four decades ago heralded a new era of more inclusive migration policies.This saw a sustained rise in the proportion of migrants to Australia from non-English speaking countries. 2 The combination of Indigenous populations and the long history of immigration has created a culturally rich and diverse Australia. 2 The growth in migrants and refugees, many of whom have been displaced due to conflict and persecution, has fuelled debate about the preparedness of plural societies like Australia for the challenges associated with such cultural diversity.One challenge is health system responsiveness; specifically, health systems must be responsive to the social, economic and cultural factors underpinning disparities in health for patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.With international migration continuing to rise, it is timely to consider whether Australian health professionals, including physiotherapists, are equipped to deliver culturally responsive healthcare.Culturally responsive healthcare, an extension of patient-centred care, ensures that attention is given to social and cultural factors during therapeutic encounters by exploring the beliefs and values that underpin the illness experience. 3[ 2 _ T D $ D I F F ] A number of terms have been used, often interchangeably, to describe culturally responsive healthcare or practice, such as cultural competency and cultural safety. 3,4Broadly, these terms describe the attributes required by health professionals to engage effectively with health consumers from culturally diverse communities. 3,4Our national physiotherapy competency standards cite cultural competence, cultural responsiveness and cultural safety in four of seven requirements for physiotherapists. 5 Further, accreditation standards for physiotherapy entry-level programs require teaching of skills necessary for culturally responsive physiotherapy practice. 6Thus, [ 8 _ T D $ D I F F ] the profession clearly recognises the importance of culturally responsive practice.However, given that cultural responsiveness is not a static competence to be achieved once, but a continually evolving process, it is reasonable to question whether we are delivering culturally responsive care.If not, where do physiotherapists receive guidance regarding how to implement practices responsive to the changing demographics of the Australian population?