Effective Communication: Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Patients

Introduction
Successful communication is a vital aspect of a doctor patient relationship because it helps to improve the patient's health outcomes, their adherence to treatment and therefore the delivery of health care.1 However, delivering effective health care to elderly Aboriginal and Torres patients can be especially challenging, because messages exchanged between the doctor and the patient can be interpreted differently due to cultural heterogeneity.3 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders also have more holistic approach towards health compared to western culture. Therefore it is essential for doctors to address the physical, social, spiritual and emotional factors that affect the patient and their whole community.3 This essay discusses two communication skills, active listening and appropriate language usage, which doctors can use to adopt a holistic and patient centred approach for
While actively listening the patient, doctors need to particularly conscious of maintaining a minimal degree of direct eye contact, allowing long gaps of silence as well as applying appropriate tonal changes.2,3 Similarly, doctors can overcome language barriers by seeking help from an Aboriginal liaisons officer or an Aboriginal health care worker and the use of graphic material.4 In this way, a patient has a better understanding of their condition and therefore can develop self-management strategies.1 Therefore, doctors should adopt a patient-centred approach to collaborate their ideas with the patient agenda for effective health care