A new research project is aiming to support culturally safe healthcare in First Nations communities through journey mapping.

Journey mapping relates to the process of recording different stages of health journeys to enable all aspects of health journeys to be recorded.

The culturally safe and person-centred approach integrates biomedical, social, emotional, spiritual, cultural, financial, access, and environmental factors in a holistic approach.

Funded by the Lowitja Institute, Australia's only national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health research institute, the research project follows others conducted by the University of Adelaide.

It says journey mapping positions First Nations Peoples as experts of their own health journeys, with control to share their experiences from their perspective, and self-identify strengths and gaps in care and how they can best be addressed.

"Our new project, Mapping Journeys for Health and Wellbeing, builds on the work of our previous projects Managing Two Worlds Together and Health Journey Mapping, by evaluating how these tools and resources have been implemented and used," project lead Professor Janet Kelly said.

"As part of this project, we have developed the Mapping Journeys for Health and Wellbeing webpage, a hub for people to find information about journey mapping activities, resources, examples, and to connect with one another."

The research team first started exploring the benefits of journey mapping in 2008, codesigning journey mapping tools and resources to support culturally safe healthcare with and for First Nations Peoples.

Dr Kim O'Donnell who was involved in the original design of the tools said the new project will explore wider implementation of the tools.

"If we get it right for Aboriginal people, we get it right for everyone," says Dr O'Donnell.

Research Assistant Alyssa Cormick said the project will have four key aims – identify use, evaluate the implementation, make the tools more accessible and reflect on what worked.

"This project strives to work alongside First Nations and non-First Nations people, healthcare staff, researchers, educators, and students to identify the benefits and effects of journey mapping, and codesign improvements to support uptake and implementation," Ms Cormick said.

"We believe that through reviewing and improving uptake of journey mapping we can support culturally safe health journeys."

The University of Adelaide says journey mapping can be used in healthcare, research and education to understand individuals' experiences, provide evidence for continuous quality improvement processes, and identify solutions to healthcare needs that are comprehensive, partnering with individuals and their families.