Improving communication and care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with burns
Thomas Whitton1, Dave Jacinto1, Jessica Kierath1, 1Royal Darwin Hospital Northern Territory, Australia
Abstract
The Royal Darwin Hospital receives burns referrals from all parts of the Northern Territory and Torres Strait Islands. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a disproportionally high number of presentations with burns to our unit. For many of our patients who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, English is not their first language, and may even be their third, fourth or fifth. It may be their first time visiting Darwin or visiting a hospital. For clinicians, this presents a challenge to communicate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to understand their culture and beliefs on health and healthcare, and in turn, to deliver respectful and culturally competent care. We discuss practices employed in our unit and the resources available to improve care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with burns. This includes the use of a multidisciplinary team comprised of in-person and telephone interpreter services, Aboriginal liaison officers and allied health staff, involving other specialty medical teams including endocrinology, renal, vascular and infectious diseases teams, provision of language-specific treatment and prevention resources, and being aware of specific cultural differences and faux pas when taking the history and examining our patients.
Biography
Tom is a Plastic Surgery Registrar at Royal Darwin Hospital with a keen interest in burns and rural health.