News release

From: Menzies School of Health Research

With around 84 per cent of patients at Mparntwe (Alice Springs) Hospital identifying as Aboriginal, new episodes of Menzies School of Health Research’s (Menzies’) award winning Ask the Specialist podcast sees Aboriginal leaders help healthcare professionals learn about providing culturally safe care in Central Australia.

Produced by Menzies’ Communicate Study Partnership, the episodes feature insights from three Aboriginal leaders: Isobel Nampitjinpa Major, a Pintupi-Luritja person from Warumpi (Papunya); Selina Napaltjarri Bob, a Pitjantjatjara person from Utju (Areyonga) and Ken Lechleitner Pangarte, an Anmatjere and Western Aranda person living in Mparntwe. They are referred to as Specialists in the podcast.

Developed in response to calls from Central Australian healthcare workers seeking to improve the care they provide, the episodes focus on the Specialists responding to anonymous questions from nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals. This covers topics from communication and trust-building to understanding kinship laws and delivering care within a transient workforce.

“Don't come in as a full glass. Come in ready to learn,” said podcast Specialist Ken Lechleitner Pangarte.

"When you have a go, it shows that you're human and you're willing to explore outside your own cultural nuances, so don't be afraid,” he said.

Podcast co-host, Donna Lemon Napaltjarri, an Arrernte and Warumungu person, also adds, "the question for healthcare workers might not be, 'Why don't they [the patient and family] trust me?' It could be, ‘What am I doing in order to earn their trust?’"

The new episodes build on the success of the Ask the Specialist podcast, which has been downloaded more than 68,000 times across 104 countries and territories. Research evaluating the podcast found healthcare providers in the Northern Territory gained a better understanding of patient needs after listening and reported making changes to their practice to support the delivery of culturally safe care.

Central Australian healthcare professionals can find insights into a range of questions on the new episodes of the podcast, including:

• As a non-Indigenous doctor, should I attempt speaking in local language to greet patients? What if I get the patient’s language wrong?
• How can I build trust quickly with Aboriginal patients who may have had negative experiences with healthcare before?
• How can I learn more about a patient’s kinship? How do I manage patient care and cultural expectations?
• How do Aboriginal people manage with the high turnover of health staff? Isn’t it exhausting?

The podcast episodes have been developed as a collaboration with Menzies’ Communicate Study Partnership, Purple House, 8CCC Community Radio and Swinburne University of Technology. This work has been made possible thanks to a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Collaborations in Health Services Research Grant.

Listen to the latest episodes on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and these can be accessed via the resources section on the Menzies website.

Quotes attributable to creator of Ask the Specialist, Podcast Executive Producer and Menzies School of Health Research Communicate Study Partnership Honorary Fellow, Associate Professor Vicki Kerrigan: “Stories can change minds and healthcare. When Aboriginal leaders’ experiences and expertise are heard, stereotypes are challenged, practice changes and culturally safe care becomes possible. Our research has found that challenging racism is essential to better health outcomes for Aboriginal people.”

Quotes attributable to Menzies School of Health Research Communicate Study Partnership Program Lead, Professor Anna Ralph: “These podcast episodes are essential listening for anyone working in healthcare. I’ve learnt so much from ‘Ask the Specialist’. Listening helps me feel I’m part of a community of practice, trying together to get communication right.”

ENDS