Tips for health and care professionals
Good health care starts with communication.
Doctors, nurses and other health care workers need information to help everyone get the right care. People with disability have the right to be heard, and to be treated with respect.
Most people see a GP if they need medical help. GPs are usually the first point of contact for people with disability when seeking information about health care and access to more specialised care.
Queensland Health recently partnered with the Queenslanders with Disability Network to create the Hear Me, See Me campaign.
The campaign was created to raise awareness of the communication needs of people with disability—particularly among healthcare workers. Check out the campaign at the link above.
Ambulance officers also have a communication board to communicate with people that may not be able to speak.
For more information:
- Health and wellbeing tips, Disability Gateway
- Resources for Health Practitioners, Council for Intellectual Disability
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners position paper on Care and support for people with Disability
- Health of people with disability information, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare