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Patient Health Educators ARDS currently has two Patient Educators based at Royal Darwin Hospital. There are also two community workers in the field to assist with people's needs. |
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| The ARDS Patient Educator team plays a vital role in explaining medical concepts and procedures to Yolngu patients in their own language.On any given day there are many Yolngu in Royal Darwin Hospital who rely on our educators to make sense of the situations they are facing. Misunderstanding and miscommunication originates due to staff and patients operating in different languages and from different perspectives. The dramatic increase in Chronic diseases and corresponding complex treatment regimes means the need for understanding of new concepts is continuous. At times misunderstanding reaches critical levels and patients wellbeing is at risk. The Patient Educators are able to hear what Yolngu are saying and work through the story with them at the appropriate pace. This allows Yolngu patients to make informed choices about their treatment.
This model of Patient Educator is unique. Normally health services categorise their educators by disease eg Cardiac Educator. ARDS Patient Educators are categorised by a language group and have a wide background in health professions. ARDS Patient Educators enjoy good collaborative working relationships with other educators in the hospital. ARDS also works closely with the Aboriginal Interpreter Service (AIS) providing support and mentoring for Aboriginal language interpreters in the hospital. We also assist doctors and other health staff to develop greater understanding of working with Aboriginal patients.
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