Ask the Specialist: Larrakia, Tiwi & Yolngu stories to inspire better healthcare Vicki Kerrigan

"Is it ok to make eye contact?" is one of the most frequently asked questions about working with Aboriginal patients in the Northern Territory of Australia. In this first episode of Ask the Specialist you’ll get practical tips on how to develop rapport with your patient, learn how to say 'hello' in the Tiwi language and get an answer to the eye contact question. Getting to know your patient is part of delivering good health care. The Specialists say that if you spend a little time getting to know your patient, patient outcomes will improve.

Communication is often called a soft science. The suggestion is communication is easy but it’s not. Not being able to communicate is stressful for you and your patient. Poor communication is one of the ways patients experience racism. Poor communication has led to patients dying. But the good news is, there are many things you can do to improve communication. 

In the Northern Territory of Australia, there are about 75 thousand Aboriginal people and about 100 Aboriginal languages and dialects are spoken. So, unless you speak an Aboriginal language, or many languages, communicating with patients through Aboriginal interpreters seems like a good option to consider. Unfortunately, at Royal Darwin Hospital in 2020, only a small number of patients who need an interpreter get one. Take a listen to how you can work with interpreters to improve patient outcomes.

Host Stuart Yiwarr McGrath says when a health professional is talking to an Aboriginal person, they automatically feel inferior. The Specialists have some suggestions about how to redress the power imbalance so you can deliver patient centred care. Plus, what to do when a patient needs to leave hospital for Sorry Business or other obligations. 

As a health professional working in a hospital, gaining informed consent is critically important. Unfortunately, patients often sign the consent form without understanding the procedure and associated risks.  In this podcast, Tiwi Elder Pirrawayingi Puruntatameri shares his own hospital experience and the Specialists share tips on how to ensure your patient is fully informed.

 "Hospitals aren’t a place that people really want to be, but is it that unpleasant for people that it's a horrible sort of racist place? What's it like being a patient there?”  In this podcast, the Specialists address doctors’ questions about racism. For many Aboriginal people, hospital has a lot of negative connotations and for some that means they will choose not to accept hospital treatment. The Specialists also talk about why Aboriginal people don’t like going to hospital and what you, as a health professional, can do to make patients feel safe.