New Zealand
Rongoā Māori (traditional Māori healing) is conducted mainly outside the Western medical system, with little collaboration occurring between the two. In a first-ever trial, six patients of different ethnicities who had completed treatment of their upper gastrointestinal disease were given the option to have follow-up consultations with both a Rongoā practitioner and a medical doctor present in the same room at the same time. Both patients and practitioners felt that the collaboration was successful due to shared values, meaningful inclusion of the patient whānau, and length of time that was spent each session (on average 45 minutes for each appointment). The authors say the results are encouraging, but there are still unresolved issues around Rongoā/medical collaboration.
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Four patients of varying ethnicities participated in a trial of combining Western medicine and Rongoā Māori in a surgical outpatient setting. Patients were seen by both a consultant surgeon and a Rongoā practitioner. Both patients and practitioners reported high levels of satisfaction in working together in a collaborative environment that provided patient- and whānau-centred care.
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