Yarning tool empowers shared decision-making

The Heart Health Yarning Tool, developed through a collaborative effort between community members and researchers from the University of Sydney Health Literacy Lab, hopes to transform the way health professionals engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

The tool has been crafted through a series of yarning sessions led by Judith Parnham, Deputy Chairperson and Queensland Representative of the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP).

Tailored to facilitate culturally safe and meaningful conversations surrounding cardiovascular risk assessment, the tool is aligned with the latest Australian guidelines.

Associate Professor Carissa Bonner, spearheading the project from the University of Sydney, together with Dr Rosemary Wyber from the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research at Australian National University, championed the tool’s development.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and practitioners are adept at delivering culturally sensitive care,” Bonner said. “Our aim is to empower other healthcare professionals to emulate this approach, fostering shared decision-making processes concerning heart health.”

“We are really excited about applying best practice to shared decision-making for mob to talk about heart health. We know that holistic, culturally safe care is critical to reducing cardiovascular risk. This tool supports clinicians to do that really well,” said David Follent, Senior Atlantic Fellow, Chairperson of NAATSIHWP and Senior Project Officer, who co-led a team at the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation that established the new shared decision-making approaches with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during the COVID-19 response.

Shannon McKinn, qualitative researcher involved in the tool’s development, underscored its role in facilitating patient-centred care. “By providing a structured framework for discussing options and choices, health professionals can collaborate with their patients, rather than dictating decisions to them,” McKinn said.

The Heart Health Yarning Tool is freely accessible online, thanks to funding support from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.

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