VACCHO supports the State-wide GP Workforce through:

• Regular email updates for GPs and practice managers
• Professional development and networking forums

To register for the updates or talk further about opportunities for GPs please contact Stephanie May, Statewide GP Workforce Strategy Coordinator on 9411 9411.

Telehealth and Cultural Safety webinar

Wednesday 13 May 2020

Time: 7:30 – 8:30pm

To register for this session, please click here

Target audience

GPs and practice managers in Aboriginal health in Victoria , other interested staff are welcome to attend.

Introduction

Telehealth is the use of the telephone or video calls for health consultation between the doctor (or AHW/Nurse) and the patients(s).  During COVID19 it was rapidly instituted to ensure patients can still see their doctors for their routine care.  It is acknowledged though that Telehealth does have limitations. Patients can not be physically examined, office tests can not be performed and other management procedures cannot be provided through Telehealth.

In Aboriginal health there is another issue that can make Telehealth problematic.  This is particularly true when the majority of Telehealth is by phone without video and thus GPs cannot see the patient.  Cultural safety is an important part of each doctor-patient interaction.  Many of the communication cues can be loss during Telehealth.  Much of the frustration and distraction that comes with the use of technology can get in the way of the consultation.  Given that during an online/on-the-phone consultation relies heavily on the history it is important we get the history right; that we understand what the patient is presenting with and the issues they want to resolve in their visit. 

Learning Outcomes

By attending this webinar participants will be able to:

1. explore the potential challenges to cultural safety during a telehealth consultation

2. discuss how to deliver a telehealth consultation in a culturally safe way

3. gain confidence in using telehealth and be clinically effective in the Aboriginal health context.

There will be ample opportunities to ask questions pertinent to your local context.  Please note that this webinar will not discuss the technical aspect of running a telehealth consultation.

Session outline:

10min 

• Acknowledge Country
• Welcome and Brief Intros
• Cultural safety overview with Djunagur Callope, Cultural Safety Trainer, VACCHO

25min

• Telehealth guidelines and recommendations
• Telehealth in the Victorian Aboriginal health context.

25min

• Sharing of tips and Q&A.

Facilitator

Hung The Nguyen has a long term commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and cultural competency training and education.  He has worked extensively as a GP and Medical and Cultural Educator in urban, rural and remote Aboriginal community health services throughout the Northern Territory and Victoria.  He currently works as a GP at Bunurong Health Service in Dandenong.  He was the Inaugural Censor for RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health for 9 years and Director of Medical and Cultural Education for NTGPE for 5 years where he oversaw GP education for the Territory.  

Hung sits on a number of Primary Care and Health Education boards (Southeast Melbourne PHN, Health Education Australia Limited, Therapeutic Guidelines); Councils (AMA Victoria, Executive Committee for the Safer Care Victoria Victorian Clinical Council and Chair SEMPHN Clinical Council) and the Victorian PPE Taskforce. 

For further enquiries please contact Stephanie May (Statewide GP Workforce Strategy Project Coordinator)