Objectives/purpose: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter respectfully referred to as First Nations) people experience poorer cancer outcomes than other Australians. Health communication is an integral part of delivering patient-centred care and improving health literacy. Culturally appropriate resources can improve clinician-patient communication. The 4Cs project (Collaboration and Communication in Cancer Care) aims to develop resources to improve clinician-patient communication during radiation therapy; here we report on the development and implementation of a Radiation Therapy talking book (RTB) for First Nations cancer patients.
Methods: The content and design of an existing RTB for cancer patients with low health literacy was adapted for First Nations cancer patients using an iterative process. The iterative adaption process included Yarning circles/interviews with First Nations cancer patients, health professionals, Indigenous interpreters, and Indigenous graphic designers. First Nations actors provided voice over for the RTB in simple English and an Indigenous language (Yolngu Matha). The content and audio were then combined into an eBook accessible on electronic tablets.
Results: Twenty-two participants completed Yarning circles/interviews and provided feedback on the RTB content, design, language, and cultural aspects. The RTB is currently being implemented and evaluated by First Nations cancer patients in three cancer centres across Queensland and the Northern Territory (accrual target, N = 40). Preliminary findings will be presented during the session.
Conclusion and clinical implications: Cultural adaptation of existing high-quality information resources is feasible. Further work evaluating the impact of RTB on improving patient centred care for First Nations cancer patients is required to support sustainable implementation of these resources.