Background/Aims: Cultural competency enables more effective relationships in research. This presentation discusses culturally competent practices in the PERsonalised Knowledge to reduce the risk of Stroke trial (PERKS-international).
Methods: PERKS is a randomised controlled trial conducted across Australia and New Zealand (NZ). NZ participants (n=375) represented diverse ethnic groups. The NZ team comprises co-investigators, a manager, and RAs is linguistically and ethnically diverse, who meet fortnightly. Textual analyses were applied to identify applications of cultural competency strategies to address linguistic barriers, provide culturally safe biological sample disposal and build respectful relationships with participants.
Results: The Montreal Cognitive Assessment administered in English. To account for linguistic barriers, an extra point was added if English was not the participants' first language. To respect Māori cultural views regarding handling and disposal of human samples, participants had the option for Karakia performed before disposal. This was appreciated by them. Reaching the recruitment target number was challenging due additional time needed to address questions, particularly due to language and cultural considerations. More time was allocated for questions during their reminder call. A welcoming period was also incorporated before starting the assessments.
Conclusion: The employed cultural competency strategies have contributed to fostering a culturally safe and collaborative environment in this research. This highlights the importance of regular communication among research team to review the trial’s practices to enhance culturally competent practices.