You are here: Home > Practice & professional support > Culturally responsive practice

Australia is a diverse and multicultural country. Optometrists are providing eye care to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients. Many optometrists themselves are from CALD backgrounds. We have developed resources to help you strengthen your cultural responsiveness and improve patient care. This page includes:

 

  • Optometry Australia’s Framework for Culturally Responsiveness Practice
  • Practical Toolkit and Self-Reflection Checklist for optometrists, practices and organisations
  • CPD education and webcasts to help improve your cultural responsiveness

The Code of Conduct for all registered optometrists outlines specific standards in regards to providing a culturally-safe and sensitive practice for all communities and work environments. It is our goal that optometrists and businesses have the knowledge, skills and attitude to provide culturally responsive care. How will it broaden your patient base and practice efficiency? What do we need to know, be and do in order to be culturally responsive?

Framework

Cultural Responsiveness Framework for Optometry (2021)

Download PDF

Toolkit

This toolkit provides practical resources to guide you, your practice and/or organisation in ensuring you are being culturally responsive. They are aligned to each section of the framework for ease of use.

Do you know of a great resource that is not in our toolkit? Let us know.

Your education

Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) Cultural Responsiveness Training modulesUtilising IAHA’s evidence-based Cultural Responsiveness Framework, Levels 1 and 2 of their market-leading training are action-oriented and highly interactive, focusing on strength-based outcomes through critical self-reflective practice. Access both levels through the Institute of Excellence: Level 1 and Level 2
Self-reflection checklist for optometristsFundamental to being a culturally responsive optometrist is ‘knowing yourself’. The checklist aims to enhance optometrists’ awareness and sensitivity to the importance of culturally responsiveness practice. It has examples of beliefs, attitudes, values and practices which foster cultural responsiveness.
Barriers to optometric care Pharma, June 2020 (4.5T CPD hours) Barriers to optometric care Pharma, June 2020 (4.5T CPD hours) Expanded commentary by Australian optometrists on:
- Barriers to Care
- Caring for culturally and linguistically diverse patients
- Refugee, asylum seekers and eyecare
Challenges in eye health care in children and strategies to improve treatment uptake (UK) This study examining challenges in providing eye care to children found that socio-cultural factors can play a role in clinical counters, e.g. when there is a social stigma among some cultures around allowing children to wear glasses or eye patches.
Optometrists’ perspectives on cross-cultural encounters in clinical practice (AUS) This study found that optometrists can experience challenges when providing care to patients from different cultural backgrounds. Optometrists described language difficulties with patients that resulted in the need to adjust their management or spend more time with patients. Some optometrists expressed feeling frustrated when they encountered patients who prioritised their spectacle needs and ignored or downplayed advice given about their eye conditions.
Communicating effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoplesPractical guide for communicating effectively in clinical context ( QLD Health).

Webcasts & Podcasts

DateTitle LinkDescriptionSpeakers
2020Culturally-safe service provision
(1.5 NC CPD hours)
WatchWhat do we need to know, be and do in order to be culturally responsive within optometry practice?Donna Murray, IAHA

Resources

Eyecare Now, Eyecare Always’ is a suite of eye health promotion resources developed by the Indigenous Eye Health Unit at Melbourne University, aimed at promoting regular eye checks in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia. These resources aim to assist primary health care providers, including Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners, to promote regular eye checks, particularly through the annual 715 health check, and awareness of refractive error and cataract.

Glossary

TermDefinition
Cultural competenceA set of congruent behaviours, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals and enable that system, agency or those professions to work effectively in cross-cultural situations.
Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)A broad and inclusive descriptor for communities with diverse language, ethnic background, nationality, dress, traditions, food, societal structures, art and religion characteristics. CALD people are generally defined as those people born overseas, in countries other than those classified by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) as “main English-speaking countries” (i.e. Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, UK and USA).
Cultural responsivenessThe capacity of clinicians and organisations to provide care that is respectful of, and relevant to, the health beliefs, health practices, linguistic and cultural needs of patients and communities.
Cultural safetyCultural safety is determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities. Culturally safe practise is the ongoing critical reflection of health practitioner knowledge, skills, attitudes, practising behaviours and power differentials in delivering safe, accessible and responsive healthcare free of racism. (AHPRA 2020).

 

You might be interested in

KPIs uncovered – your top questions about key performance indicators answered

Recent graduates in particular can find themselves struggling to understand why businesses have KPIs and how they apply to them as employees. Chair of ECONA Corporate Engagement committee Acyel Al-Alosi asked her colleagues Daniel Rafla and Tara Muralitharan, both of whom have worked in multiple practices, to share their understanding of how KPIs work in practice.
KPIs uncovered – your top questions about key performance indicators answered View

Acknowledgement of Country

In the spirit of reconciliation Optometry Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.