New resources help culturally and linguistically diverse patients understand alternatives to EDs

Healthdirect Australia has developed free, translated information and materials to assist culturally and linguistically diverse communities to access the right health care in the right place and time.

The health information - which includes videos, posters, brochures and website content - is available in a range of languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Mandarin and Vietnamese, as well as English.

The resources explain the fundamental role of the General Practitioner in providing preventative and long-term care for individuals and families. The resources also assist people to make decisions about when it is appropriate to use emergency departments.

According to Dr Marie-Louise Stokes, Chief Medical Officer, Healthdirect Australia, “Nearly half of Australian residents are either born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas and more than a fifth speak a language other than English at home^[1] — so providing information in their own language is important.

“Language barriers, combined with a lack of understanding about the way our health system works, can present real challenges and lead to poorer health outcomes for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds,” says Dr Stokes.

About the translated resources

These resources were developed following results from a study at Canterbury Hospital in South West Sydney. The study found that new migrants were more likely to present at emergency departments with non-urgent health concerns due to lack of understanding around health service alternatives.^[2]

“These new resources help explain the role of general practice and other services, such as the healthdirect helpline and website,” says Dr Stokes.

“We believe that translating information into other languages is an important part of addressing health literacy barriers and hope they will contribute to more appropriate use of health services,” she says.

Healthdirect Australia collaborated with the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) in developing the materials to ensure the video animations, scripts, translations and voice-overs are culturally appropriate for each nationality, in a process that included community user testing.

The development process also included input from a consumer representative for Health NSW and health professionals working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities at the University of NSW.

All content has been developed in accordance with Healthdirect Australia’s Clinical Governance Framework to provide safe health advice, information and access to health services.

Health professionals are encouraged to download the resources and order printed materials free of charge from Healthdirect Australia.

^{1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016 Census data. Available at: 2016 Census: Multicultural}

^{2. Page J, Harris E, Sharma N. Afterhours attendance of paediatric patients at Canterbury Hospital Emergency Department. Sydney, NSW: Health Equity Research and Development Unit, Sydney Local Health District}