Curriculum standards

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• use appropriate and confidential communication strategies and modalities for communication, such as emails, face-to-face, or phone calls
• elicit patients’ views, concerns, and preferences, promoting rapport
• establish supportive relationships with patients, families, and/or carers based on understanding, trust, empathy, and confidentiality
• provide information to patients in plain language, avoiding jargon, acronyms, and complex medical terms
• encourage questions and answer them thoroughly
• ask patients to share their thoughts or explain their management plan in their own words, to verify understanding
• convey information considerately and sensitively to patients, seeking clarification if unsure of how best to proceed
• treat all people respectfully, including adolescents, and young and older people, and listen to their views
• recognise the role of family or carers and, when appropriate, encourage patients to involve their family or carers in decisions about their care
• discuss new clinical diagnoses with patients, with empathy and understanding

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• select appropriate and confidential modes of communication
• engage patients in discussions, avoiding the use of jargon
• check patients’ understanding of information
• adapt communication style in response to patients’ age, developmental level, and cognitive, physical, cultural, socioeconomic, and situational factors
• collaborate with patient liaison officers as required
• ensure consistent messages are given to patients, families, and/or carers about treatment options, their likelihood of success, risks, and prognosis

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• discuss with patients their condition and the available management options, including potential benefits and harms
• seek consent after providing information in a clear and accessible manner
• consider young people’s capacity for decision making and consent
• recognise and take precautions where patients may be vulnerable, such as issues of child protection, self-harm, or elder abuse
• participate in processes to manage patients’ complaints

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• inform patients of the material risks associated with proposed management plans
• treat information about patients as confidential

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• obtain informed consent or other valid authority before involving patients in teaching
• teach others about patient communication, particularly regarding sexual health, such as communicating a harm minimisation approach related to sexual activity, sex positive communication, and communicating with people of diverse genders and sexualities

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• participate in ongoing learning regarding patient communication, particularly regarding sexual health, such as communicating a harm minimisation approach related to sexual activity, sex positive communication, and communicating with people of diverse genders and sexualities

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• provide information to patients that is based on guidelines issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council and/or Health Research Council of New Zealand
• provide information to patients in a way they can understand before asking for their consent to participate in research
• obtain an informed consent or other valid authority before involving patients in research

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• refer to evidence-based clinical guidelines
• demonstrate an understanding of the limitations of the evidence and the challenges of applying research in daily practice

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• demonstrate effective and culturally competent communication with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Māori
• effectively communicate with members of other cultural groups by meeting patients’ specific language, cultural, and communication needs
• use qualified language or cultural interpreters to help meet patients’ communication needs
• provide plain language and culturally appropriate written materials to patients when possible

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• identify when to use interpreters
• allow enough time for communication across linguistic and cultural barriers

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• encourage and support patients to be well informed about their health, and to use this information wisely when they make decisions
• encourage and support patients and, when relevant, their families or carers, in caring for themselves and managing their health
• demonstrate respectful, professional relationships with patients
• prioritise honesty, patients’ welfare, and community benefit above self-interest
• develop a high standard of personal conduct, consistent with professional and community expectations
• support patients’ rights to seek second opinions

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• respect the preferences of patients
• communicate appropriately, consistent with the context, and respect patients’ needs and preferences
• maximise patient autonomy, and support their decision making
• set boundaries to avoid developing any sexual, intimate, and/or financial relationships with patients
• demonstrate a caring attitude towards patients
• demonstrate awareness of resource persons available to assist in resolving ethical issues, such as clinic counsellors and university ethicists
• respect patients, including protecting their rights to privacy and confidentiality
• behave equitably towards all, irrespective of gender, age, culture, socioeconomic status, sexual preferences, beliefs, contribution to society, illness-related behaviours, or the illness itself
• use social media ethically and according to legal obligations to protect patients’ confidentiality and privacy

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• communicate effectively with team members involved in patients’ care, and with patients, families, and/or carers
• discuss medical assessments, treatment plans, and investigations with patients and primary care teams, working collaboratively with all
• discuss patients’ care needs with healthcare team members to align them with appropriate resources
• facilitate an environment in which all team members feel they can contribute and their opinion is valued
• communicate accurately and succinctly, and motivate others on the healthcare team

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• answer questions from team members
• summarise, clarify, and communicate responsibilities of healthcare team members
• keep healthcare team members focused on patient outcomes

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• collaborate with other services, such as community health centres and consumer organisations, to help patients navigate the healthcare system
• discuss principles of ethical behaviour outlined by organisations such as the World Medical Association, the Australian Medical Association, and in the Hippocratic Oath
• recognise primacy of one law over another, such as child protection over confidentiality of personal information where a child is either at risk or potentially at risk, or in the case of public health notifications
• provide expert evidence for court in matters relating to sexual health, including sexual assault

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• communicate with and involve other health professionals as appropriate