"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.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

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: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

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.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

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: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

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: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

"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.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

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 and sickness.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

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 northern Australia. In this episode, Arrernte, Walpiri and Yolŋu leaders answer some of the burning questions from healthcare providers about how best to deliver culturally safe palliative care to First Nations peoples in the Northern Territory.

The Specialists are: Rarrtjiwuy Melanie Herdman, Jimmy Langdon, Sabella Kngwarraye Turner and Amelia Kngwarraye Turner.

Hosts: Kelly Clark from Danila Dilba Health Service and Christine Sanderson from NT Health.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.