Improving access to primary care for multicultural communities

The Improving Access to Primary Health Care for Multicultural Communities program aims to improve equitable access to, and experiences of, primary health care for people from multicultural backgrounds living in Hume. It responds to identified barriers to navigating the health system and supports more culturally safe, person centred primary care.

The key goals are to:

• improve access to and navigation of primary care for multicultural communities
• provide culturally and linguistically appropriate support through community based health navigators
• strengthen cultural responsiveness within primary care settings.

North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) commissioned DPV Health to deliver this program based on its strong reputation for working with and advocating for multicultural communities, and its demonstrated experience in building workforce capability. It also has well established networks across the Hume region, positioning it well to deliver this activity.

Since the program launched, DPV Health has established a dedicated project team comprising a program lead and four bilingual health navigators who speak Arabic, Turkish, Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi.

The team delivers through a twofold approach.

The first element focuses on supporting and advocating for multicultural community members. This includes assisting individuals to navigate and access local primary health care services, such as general practitioners and allied health providers, as well as delivering community information sessions on accessing and navigating the primary health care system. There is a helpline for community members to ensure timely assistance and support.

The second focuses on supporting local primary health care services. This includes delivering cultural competency training, covering cross cultural communication, practical engagement strategies, and effective use of interpreters and translated materials.

Additional support includes free translation of patient resources, assistance to identify and address resource gaps, and partnership development to strengthen connections between primary health care services and local community organisations.

By supporting community members and the primary care workforce, this twofold approach helps drive sustainable change across the local health system.

Program website: Multicultural Healthcare | DPV Health

Since it began, the DPV Health project team has engaged over 450 community members through education sessions and helpline services. 90 per cent of participants indicated an overall increase in knowledge and confidence when engaging with primary care services.

The DPV Health team has also engaged nine GP clinics within the Hume region to deliver cultural awareness assessments and competency training to staff, as well as tailored resource packages and translated resources for the practices.