Aboriginal philosophy and its impact on health care outcomes.

Philosophical perspective is an important factor influencing the health and health care outcomes of Aboriginal Australians. To date, the nature of the Aboriginal perspective and its differences from mainstream European thinking have been poorly understood. The negative impact that this has on the health and health care of Aboriginal people has been seriously neglected. We outline some of the important features of the philosophical perspective of Aboriginal Australians. We suggest ways in which the recognition of these views can inform changes in treatment settings and methods that can contribute to improvements in the health care outcomes of Aboriginal Australians.