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Improving Health Literacy

Today….Not Tomorrow”

It’s in the hands of our Aboriginal people

Julie Wright – AHP – CAHS PHC Outreach Unit

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Important Priorities

Engage

Must Prioritise

Engaging with our Aboriginal

Health Workforce

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WHY?FACTS/REALITIES

• Aboriginal language speakers average 70% of all health service users

in NT

• Aboriginal health professionals are less than 1% of the NT health

workforce

• High rates of staff turnover

• Inability to communicate effectively puts lives and practice at risk

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Title

ertionSub HeadingPresenter Name

Departmental Agency

Insert date

We must work towards

good communication &

strong working

relationships

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Who are we?• Aboriginal Community Workers

• Aboriginal Health Practitioners

• SWSBSC Strong Women Workers

• Aboriginal Male Health Community Workers

• Aboriginal Health Promotion Officers

Someone will help if you ask!

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Also include:

• Key Community Members, community based lifestyle and stakeholder

program workers

• Aboriginal workforce in clinics, schools, women's centres, council,

shop, police and child care

• Also Interpreter Service

Someone will help if you ask!

Who are we?

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• It is essential to teach and provide training to our Aboriginal Health

Workforce and community

• Create safe supportive working environments & support Cultural

Induction

• Build and strengthen relationships with the people/consumers and

their families

• Develop resources and training to use essential tools when working

with the people/consumers and their families

HELP us to help our people

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HELP us to help our people

• Create safe supportive working environments

• Empower our Aboriginal Health Workforce with the skills and

knowledge to interpret health information for the consumer

• Language skills are always important to the consumer

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Definitions

‘Health literacy is about communicating health information clearly and understanding it correctly’ (Osborne, 2014, p1)

the ability to find, understand, and act

on health information.

an interactionbetween

patients and the health care

system

verbal, print, and seek web-

based information

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Consumer

• Working together • Provide clinical expertise

• Aboriginal people lead and support remote PHC

• Support people and communities self manage:

preventable chronic conditions, Diabetes, Heart& Kidney Disease,

Mental health. Also Environmental Health/living

condition issues l

Engaging with Health Service

Centres

Improving Quality Care through our workforce and Language Literacy

Skills

Multi-disciplinary approach and Education and training is the key to Caring for the consumer

Relationship BuildingFor the

ConsumerHealth teams

Family Community

Help Support Networks Communication and

ReferralsMeetings

DiscussionsWorkshops

Training

People need to understand what you’re saying if Lifestyle

Behaviours are to be modified Poor Physical ActivityPoor Nutrition

SmokingAlcohol Social Emotional & Well Being

PEOPLE ACTION OUTCOME/ RESULT

Better Communication pillars

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The nurse asks, “Do you have any questions?”

The patient shakes his head, indicating no.

While the nurse might assume this response means she did a good job

communicating, the patient may, out of politeness, be shaking their

head to end the consult as a way of not saying how confused he really

is. (Osborne, 2014)

Aboriginal workers can help get your

message across and assess the level

of understanding

Questions are good.

However, when encouraging questions, remember the following:

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Any Questions?

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• Osborne, H 2014 Health Literacy A to Z

• Taylor, K 2010 intercultural health care

communications

• DOH Intranet home Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander portal – Resources

and Catalogue

References

Resources that can be utilised by the Practitioner to

help interpret or help the consumerhttp://internal.health.nt.gov.au/aboriginalhealthportal/resources/catal

ogue/Pages/default.aspx#DoH