Description
In the Northern Territory and remote regions of Western Australia Aboriginal languages remain strong: in the NT 30% of the population are Aboriginal and almost 70% speak an Aboriginal language at home. However, few health service providers share the language or cultural background of their Aboriginal clients and ineffective communication is pervasive. This seriously compromises the safety and quality of health care as well as equity of access to health services for Aboriginal people who do not speak English as their primary language. Research in northern Australia has identified serious consequences of ineffective communication but implementation of strategies to improve communication – and therefore health outcomes - remains inadequate. This panel will bring together diverse perspectives, drawing on both research and practice, to uncover and explore challenges in intercultural health communication that are often unrecognized. Such challenges include: cultural differences in conceptualisations of health and communication; compounding disadvantage for those with a communication disability; unconscious bias; incorrect assumptions about extent of shared understanding and challenges in ensuring informed consent. Strategies to reveal and address these ‘hidden issues’ will also be explored: innovative education for health staff to address unconscious bias and negative assumptions; uncovering sources of miscommunication, particular in consent processes, and increasing staff competence in engaging with interpreters. The audience will also be invited to contribute to a discussion about how sustained improvements in communication between health staff and their Aboriginal clients can be achieved, recognizing this as fundamental to ensuring equity, safety and quality of services – and to improving health outcomes.| Period | 26 Jun 2019 |
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| Event title | 2019 International Communication, Medicine, and Ethics Conference (COMET) |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Adelaide, Australia, South AustraliaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |