Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare

What does it mean to make an effort to communicate across languages and cultures? Learn why even attempting a greeting in a local Aboriginal language can help build connection, why it is important to ask patients where they are from and what language they speak, and how interpreters and Aboriginal Liaison Officers can help provide safer care. Discover why something as simple as waking a patient fr...

Trust is not automatic; you have to earn it! Learn how healthcare professionals can build trust with Aboriginal patients who may already be carrying vulnerability from previous experiences with healthcare. Discover how to ask sensitive questions about food, money and living circumstances without causing embarrassment, why relationships matter, and how slowing down and paying attention to how you m...

Kinship is central to Aboriginal identity and shapes family responsibilities, relationships and decision-making. Learn how healthcare professionals can ask about kinship and find out who should be involved in decisions about a patient’s care. Discover why avoidance relationships matter in healthcare settings, why family members may need time to arrive before decisions can be made, and how healthca...

What does cultural safety look like when healthcare workers may only be in Central Australia for a few months? Learn why relationships still matter, even when staff are only passing through, and why coming in “as a half a glass” and being ready to learn can make a difference. Discover how healthcare workers can learn from Elders, community members and Aboriginal colleagues, and why supporting Abor...

Discussing end-of-life care can be very challenging—what words should you use? Can you call someone by their name? In this episode, the Specialists discuss the language to use before and after someone passes away, and the policies and procedures regarding sorry business and smoking ceremonies. This is Ask the Specialist , and in our podcast, the Specialists are First Nations leaders from across no...

Have you ever wondered how to handle end-of-life talks with First Nations peoples? In this episode, the Specialists explore how "skin and kin" defines family roles and responsibilities—and why the decision-maker isn’t always the “next of kin” as described on a hospital form.  This is Ask the Specialist , and in our podcast, the Specialists are First Nations leaders from across northern A...

Learn how kinship roles shape who can visit a loved one—and why absence can be a sign of deep respect. Discover why some families might fear pain medication, and why the right setting for end-of-life care discussions isn’t always a hospital room. Providing care that is both clinically and culturally safe starts with understanding these perspectives. This is Ask the Specialist , and in our podcast,...

Some Aboriginal patients may have a different perspective on health compared to the western biomedical approach which underpins mainstream healthcare delivery. A culturally safe health professional has an awareness of differing worldviews and also reflects on their own culture and how they can change. In the final episode in this series, you’ll gain insights into Aboriginal perspectives on health...

 " 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 hosp...

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. Ask the Specialist: s...

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.  Ask the Specialist: s tories to inspire better health...

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...

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.  Ask the Specialist: s tories to inspi...

"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...