Multicultural Health - Guidelines to Practice

Providing Care to Patients From Culturally and Linguistically

Diverse Backgrounds: Guidelines to Practice


 

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This guide aims to enhance the delivery and quality of health care to culturally and linguistically diverse communities.  The information is not specific to any single cultural group, rather it presents guidelines to issues that may present in areas of health care, in which culture might make a difference.
(Cultural Diversity - a guide for health professionals presents cultural profiles on specific ethnic communities in Queensland). 

It was developed for Queensland Health on the basis of research conducted by the Australian Centre for International and Tropical Health and Nutrition, The University of Queensland, from November 1997 to April 1998. The guidelines were compiled with the assistance of staff from various hospitals in South East Queensland, interpreters and consumers from various cultural backgrounds.  The Checklists for Cultural Assessment is a companion to this popular resource.

Please note: as this publication was published in 1998 some of the contact details are dated.  Click here for up-to-date contact details for a wide range of services.

 

Contents
Preface Death and dying
Introduction Allied health
Communicating effectively (part 1) Models of health and illness
Communicating effectively (part 2) Medication including traditional medicine
Language issues Family and community
Staff-patient relationships Religion
Understanding hospital systems Gender and modesty
Admission Diet and food preferences
Investigations Pain and disability
Paediatrics Discharge
Birthing practices Resources (part 1)
Surgery/critical care Resources (part 2)
Medicine References

 

 


Last updated: 1 October 2013