Improving the patient experience for aboriginal people in the emergency department

This report describes the findings of a project in which five Victorian health services undertook local projects to improve the experiences of Aboriginal people in their EDs.

A number of strategies were used to engage the local Aboriginal communities to better understand their experiences of the EDs.

Initiatives to improve cultural safety, promote delivery of culturally-sensitive care and develop statewide resources to assist care delivery to Aboriginal consumers in EDs were developed and implemented.

The overall purpose of this project was to explore opportunities to improve the experience of Aboriginal people in the ED. It supports the Victorian Department of Health’s (the department’s) Improving Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patients (ICAP) Program.

A key factor in the success of this project was the close collaboration between the department’s Emergency Program and Koori Human Services Unit, ICAP, the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) and participating health services