Action 5.08 states
The health service organisation has processes to routinely ask patients if they identify as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin, and to record this information in administrative and clinical information systems
Intent
People who identify as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin are provided with tailored and culturally appropriate comprehensive care.
Reflective questions
What processes are in place for patients to identify as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?
How is this information recorded in administrative information systems and transferred to clinical information systems?
Key tasks
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Develop policies, protocols and processes for confirming Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification status.
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Train the workforce to build competence in working with diverse population groups and specifically for collecting identification information.
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Include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identifiers in administrative and clinical datasets.
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Monitor and report on the implementation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification strategies.
Strategies for improvement
Hospitals
Confirming the identity of a person as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin at the beginning of their care will help health service organisations provide comprehensive tailored and culturally appropriate care, including better assessment of the risks that an individual may face.
If Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity is established through an administrative process, ensure that there are mechanisms for this information to be transferred to the clinical information systems and, critically, the patient’s healthcare record.
Monitor trends in reporting, healthcare delivery and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and use this to assess the effectiveness of improvement strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers.
The correct and consistent identification and recording of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers are also important practices in upholding the rights of healthcare consumers. Encourage the workforce to collect information in a professional and respectful manner, without making assumptions about a consumer’s identity or about how they are likely to respond to any given question. Be aware that some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers may not wish to declare their Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage.
To improve the willingness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to identify themselves, health service organisations can:
- Partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers and local communities to improve the health service organisation’s understanding of reasons for declaring or not declaring their Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity, and to improve processes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification
- Develop resources in formats that are easily accessible for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers, to explain why the question of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity is being asked
- Establish mechanisms to improve cultural competency and reflective practice of the workforce.
Further strategies are available in
Day Procedure Services
Day procedure services may have a small Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patient population. For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receiving care in a day procedure service, their risk of harm will be similar to that of the general patient population using the service. However, a day procedure service cannot determine this without a system for identifying which of its patients identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and what, if any, additional risks they face.
Encouraging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be comfortable identifying themselves may require day procedure services to:
- Provide patients with easy-to-understand information about why the service is asking them to identify themselves
- Establish mechanisms to improve the cultural competency and reflective practice of the workforce that collects identifying information.
Evidence provided under this action will determine the applicability of other actions that relate to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health (Actions 1.02, 1.04, 1.33 and 2.13).
Further strategies are available in
Examples of evidence
Select only examples currently in use:
- Policy documents or by-laws that outline processes for identifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, and recording this information in administrative and clinical information systems
- Admission registration form on which patients can identify as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin
- Comparison of patient healthcare and admission records that shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients are identified consistently
- Communication material displayed in admission areas that provides patients with information about why they will be asked if they identify as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin
- Training documents about obtaining information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients
- Communication with the workforce about the importance of identifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
MPS & Small Hospitals
Confirming the identity of a person as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin at the beginning of their care will help health service organisations provide comprehensive tailored and culturally appropriate care, including better assessment of the risks that an individual may face.
MPSs and small hospitals should:
- Develop policies, protocols and processes for confirming Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification status
- Train the workforce to build competence in working with diverse population groups and specifically for collecting identification information
- Include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identifiers in administrative and clinical datasets
- Monitor and report on the implementation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification strategies.
If Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity is established through an administrative process, ensure that there are mechanisms for this information to be transferred to the clinical information systems and, critically, the patient’s healthcare record.
Monitor trends in reporting, healthcare delivery and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and use this to assess the effectiveness of improvement strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers.
The correct and consistent identification and recording of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers are also important practices in upholding the rights of healthcare consumers. Encourage the workforce to collect information in a professional and respectful manner, without making assumptions about a consumer’s identity or about how they are likely to respond to any given question. Be aware that some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers may not wish to declare their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage.
To improve the willingness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to identify themselves, health service organisations can:
- Partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers and local communities to improve the health service organisation’s understanding of reasons for declaring or not declaring their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity, and to improve processes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification
- Develop resources in formats that are easily accessible for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers, to explain why the question of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity is being asked
- Set up mechanisms to improve cultural competency and reflective practice of the workforce.
Further strategies are available in
Hospitals
Confirming the identity of a person as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin at the beginning of their care will help health service organisations provide comprehensive tailored and culturally appropriate care, including better assessment of the risks that an individual may face.
If Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity is established through an administrative process, ensure that there are mechanisms for this information to be transferred to the clinical information systems and, critically, the patient’s healthcare record.
Monitor trends in reporting, healthcare delivery and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and use this to assess the effectiveness of improvement strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers.
The correct and consistent identification and recording of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers are also important practices in upholding the rights of healthcare consumers. Encourage the workforce to collect information in a professional and respectful manner, without making assumptions about a consumer’s identity or about how they are likely to respond to any given question. Be aware that some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers may not wish to declare their Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage.
To improve the willingness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to identify themselves, health service organisations can:
- Partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers and local communities to improve the health service organisation’s understanding of reasons for declaring or not declaring their Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity, and to improve processes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification
- Develop resources in formats that are easily accessible for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers, to explain why the question of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity is being asked
- Establish mechanisms to improve cultural competency and reflective practice of the workforce.
Further strategies are available in
Day Procedure Services
Day procedure services may have a small Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patient population. For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receiving care in a day procedure service, their risk of harm will be similar to that of the general patient population using the service. However, a day procedure service cannot determine this without a system for identifying which of its patients identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and what, if any, additional risks they face.
Encouraging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be comfortable identifying themselves may require day procedure services to:
- Provide patients with easy-to-understand information about why the service is asking them to identify themselves
- Establish mechanisms to improve the cultural competency and reflective practice of the workforce that collects identifying information.
Evidence provided under this action will determine the applicability of other actions that relate to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health (Actions 1.02, 1.04, 1.33 and 2.13).
Further strategies are available in
Examples of evidence
Select only examples currently in use:
- Policy documents or by-laws that outline processes for identifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, and recording this information in administrative and clinical information systems
- Admission registration form on which patients can identify as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin
- Comparison of patient healthcare and admission records that shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients are identified consistently
- Communication material displayed in admission areas that provides patients with information about why they will be asked if they identify as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin
- Training documents about obtaining information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients
- Communication with the workforce about the importance of identifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
MPS & Small Hospitals
Confirming the identity of a person as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin at the beginning of their care will help health service organisations provide comprehensive tailored and culturally appropriate care, including better assessment of the risks that an individual may face.
MPSs and small hospitals should:
- Develop policies, protocols and processes for confirming Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification status
- Train the workforce to build competence in working with diverse population groups and specifically for collecting identification information
- Include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identifiers in administrative and clinical datasets
- Monitor and report on the implementation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification strategies.
If Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity is established through an administrative process, ensure that there are mechanisms for this information to be transferred to the clinical information systems and, critically, the patient’s healthcare record.
Monitor trends in reporting, healthcare delivery and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and use this to assess the effectiveness of improvement strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers.
The correct and consistent identification and recording of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers are also important practices in upholding the rights of healthcare consumers. Encourage the workforce to collect information in a professional and respectful manner, without making assumptions about a consumer’s identity or about how they are likely to respond to any given question. Be aware that some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers may not wish to declare their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage.
To improve the willingness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to identify themselves, health service organisations can:
- Partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers and local communities to improve the health service organisation’s understanding of reasons for declaring or not declaring their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity, and to improve processes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification
- Develop resources in formats that are easily accessible for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers, to explain why the question of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity is being asked
- Set up mechanisms to improve cultural competency and reflective practice of the workforce.
Further strategies are available in