First Peoples: Questions to ask your healthcare professional

TOPICS

Treatment and Therapies

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Women from First Peoples communities across Australia encourage people not to be afraid to write down and ask questions they want to ask their doctors. People are often given lots of information which can be hard to understand all at once. Questions the women in the videos asked include learning more about treatment, access to healthcare and clinical trials, side effects of drugs and how to speak about your diagnosis to those around you.

We recommend you take care when watching this video as some people may find the content upsetting. The people featured in this video are sharing their own unscripted personal stories. This is not intended to replace medical or professional advice.

This video was made with support from Cancer Australia through the Supporting Women in Rural Areas Diagnosed With Breast Cancer program.

Leah So once you've had a diagnosis I think that you know think about what you want to ask before you go to the doctors write things down because no question is stupid

Aunty Pam Don't think whatever question that you ask your doctor is silly say for myself I forgot to ask about what you write your question down and say to your doctor oh look I just want to ask you this I just want to know do you think that cancer might come back again or do you think I should take tablets

Andrea Writing down questions when you go to the hospital they give you a diagnosis they give you a heap of information and we all know that you only take in a certain amount

Leah Normally yeah you know you should be asking you know where from here if you're regional can I have my treatment here and questions like oh you know should I just have radiation do I just need radiation and you know if they feel that they need to have something else you know because there's clinical trials you know we don't know a lot about clinical trials now can anybody have those are they a extra to just having radiation like you know so they're some of the questions you could be asking

Natasha I seeked information about how to sit down with children and tell them about diagnosis and tell them about going for surgery tell them about all that sort of stuff

Erica I keep asking them questions all the time the side effects of the tablet someone because I get aches in the joints

Leah Normally also if you're if you're going through a hospital there's an aboriginal liaison officers they can also help you with some of the questions

Natasha Speak to the doctors when you need to don't ever be scared to talk to anybody always if there's a question ring email ask your liaison officer ask anyone.