Finalist: Excellence in Multicultural Healthcare Award
“What it Means and How it Seems" is a simple tool designed to address the disconnect between what the health system intends to communicate and how consumers or patients perceive that communication. By encouraging reflective practice among staff and nurturing active engagement with consumers, the tool promotes clearer communication, strengthens health literacy and cultural humility, and reduces the risk of miscommunication.
The need for such an approach is particularly evident in Western Sydney, where 54.3% of residents speak a language other than English and nearly half (49.9%) were born in non-English speaking countries. This rich diversity highlights the importance of culturally safe, inclusive, and reflective communication in healthcare.
In 2024, the tool was embedded into the reintroduction of community palliative care services and delivered through an intercultural communication training module. Guided by two key questions “What it means?" and “How it seems?" the tool helps clinicians bridge the gap between clinical messaging and consumer understanding. A total of 108 clinicians participated, with 99% reporting the training was directly relevant to their practice. Case-based scenarios explored cultural influences on care planning, increasing staff confidence in engaging culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients and families in shared decision-making.
Since 2023, more than 600 staff and 50 consumers have applied the tool. Its integration now extends beyond palliative care, forming part of Western Sydney Local Health District's Manager Capability Program, Self-Management Guideline, and the Statewide Health Literacy Hub.
Meet the other finalists for the Excellence in Multicultural Healthcare Award.
