Crosswell, Rebekah JaneNikora, HinetuPaul, Ryan G.Buntting, Catherine MichelleRoa, TomKeenan, RawiriAporosa, S. 'Apo'Paekau, CapriRaumati, GlendaMoorhouse, SuzanneLatu, Anna Tiatia Fa'atoese2025-09-102025-09-102025Crosswell, R., Nikora, H., Paul, R., Buntting, C., Roa, T., Keenan, R., Aporosa, A., Paekau, C., Raumati, G., Moorhouse, S., & Tiatia Fa'atoese Latu, A. (2025). Ascending the Poutama: Culturally responsive diabetes care for Māori communities. Journal of Primary Health Care. https://doi.org/10.1071/HC250661172-6164https://hdl.handle.net/10289/17643Introduction Type 2 diabetes (T2D) significantly impacts Māori populations in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) who experience health disparities including suboptimal disease management. Aim To explore culturally responsive approaches to supporting Māori living with T2D from the perspective of healthcare providers. Methods Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians from various disciplines (general practitioner, podiatrist, exercise physiologist, three kaiāwhina, dietitian, two pharmacists); five clinicians identify as Māori, four as non-Māori. Kaupapa Māori inductive thematic analysis was used. Results Four key themes emerged: empowering patient-centred communication, whānau involvement, interprofessional collaboration, and culturally appropriate analogies. Discussion The findings underscore the need for holistic, culturally responsive T2D care that prioritises culturally appropriate communication to improve patient engagement, health outcomes and address Māori health disparities.enAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/culturally responsivehealth communicationhealth equityholistic disease managementindigenous healthKaupapa Māoripatient-centred carepoutamaprimary healthcaretype 2 diabetes mellitusKaupapa Māoriculturally responsivehealth communicationhealth equityholistic disease managementindigenous healthpatient-centred carepoutamaprimary healthcaretype 2 diabetes mellitusJournal Article10.1071/HC250661172-61564203 Health Services and Systems42 Health Sciences4203 Health services and systems3 Good Health and Well Being