Supporting consumer diversity and equity
Person-centred care must recognise and respect individual needs, beliefs and culture. Understanding the diversity of consumers seen in your organisation can help you design systems that support staff to better meet their needs.
Person-centred care is particularly important among vulnerable or disadvantaged populations, such as the young, elderly, disabled or mentally ill; those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, or rural and remote areas; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. For many of these people, communication and collaboration with health professionals can be difficult and necessarily involves carers, friends, family, spiritual and pastoral advisers, or the broader community. Person-centred care principles and approaches are an opportunity towards addressing the inequity these populations can experience.
Meeting the needs of diverse populations
Resources are available for healthcare organisations to explore the needs of specific populations.
A Commission resource to support clinicians to provide person-centred care for people with intellectual disability
Meeting the healthcare needs of diverse populations
A US study of best practice by The Joint Commission
Framework for integrating care for older people with complex health needs
The framework, from NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, aims to support local health districts and agency partnerships to implement improved models of care for older people
Consumer resources
Health translations tool for consumers
Translated information about health and wellbeing, available by topic and language, developed by the Victorian Government
Finding good health information online
Guidance and translations that support finding good health information online