The WA Centre of Rural Health of the University of Western Australia is proud to announce the
launch of the Clinical Yarning eLearning program.
Effective communication between clinicians and patients is the foundation to high quality health
care. Unfortunately, ineffective communication is common when there are cultural and language
differences between clinicians and patients.
Clinical Yarning is a framework to assist clinicians improve the effectiveness of their communication
in Aboriginal health care.
The framework looks to improve the quality and cultural security of care for Aboriginal patients and
their families.
The Clinical Yarning eLearning program was developed as a resource to improve the effectiveness of
communication of health care clinicians who work with Aboriginal patients, by using the Clinical
Yarning model.
It is an online course available to health science students and health care providers.
The course is approximately 2 hours long, and you may start and stop your progress throughout the
course at your own pace. You may pick up where you last left off.
By completing the survey at the end, it is possible to download a Course Completion Certificate.
It is recommended that the Clinical Yarning eLearning program is accompanied by face-to-face
training involving the practising of communication skills.
The opportunity to practice, reflect, rehearse and repeat the skills, in a safe learning environment
(e.g. simulation), is essential to improving communication with patients.
We would like to acknowledge our valuable partner organisations WA Country Health Service and
WA Primary Health Alliance who contributed to the development of the eLearning program.
We would also like to acknowledge all those who collaborated in this project including Geraldton
Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (GRAMS), South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS),
Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service Aboriginal Corporation, University partners, health practitioners and
community members.
***Warning – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this course may contain
the names, images, stories and voices of people now passed and resting in the Dreaming.***
To log onto the Clinical Yarning eLearning program, go to the website – www.clinicalyarning.org.au.
For further information on Clinical Yarning, read the paper ‘Yarn with me’: applying clinical yarning
to improve clinician–patient communication in Aboriginal health care’ here, or watch the
introduction to ‘Clinical Yarning’ video here.
Media contact: Mia Jeffrey, Marketing and Communications Officer – (08) 9956 0225 –
Mia.Jeffrey@uwa.edu.au
About WACRH: The WA Centre for Rural Health of the University of Western Australia is one of 17
University Departments of Rural Health in Australia. The main office is based in Geraldton in the
Midwest of Western Australia, with a satellite office based in Karratha in the Pilbara. It aims to
improve rural, remote, and Aboriginal health through research, education, student support and
community service activities. For more information, visit: www.wacrh.uwa.edu.au
