A dedicated codesign team—including multidisciplinary clinicians, researchers, multicultural health literacy experts, and members of the Vietnamese community—has been working to improve stroke awareness in the Vietnamese community in South West Sydney. Their goal was to help people better recognise the signs of stroke, understand the importance of calling an ambulance quickly, and learn how healthy lifestyle choices can reduce stroke risk.
Stroke is still one of the leading causes of death and disability in Australia. Getting to hospital fast is critical—especially for strokes caused by blood clots, also called ischaemic strokes —because early treatment can greatly improve recovery. When someone is having a stroke, every minute counts.
Research showed that Vietnamese people with acute stroke symptoms were likely to take longer in arriving to hospital after the start of their stroke symptoms. This may reduce their chances of making as good a recovery from stroke as possible. In response, the team created an interactive culturally appropriate education program, with input from bilingual health workers and community members, to help close this gap.
A key part of the project’s success was strong local involvement, especially through the Vietnamese Community in Australia – NSW Chapter and the Sydney-based Vietnamese Interagency Workers Group—a network of community workers across Sydney. Their insights helped shape the program in ways that formal health services often miss.
This project showed that working with communities and tailoring messages to the community’s language and culture, and working closely with local groups, enabled the team to boost stroke awareness and encouraged people to seek help sooner.
The team are evaluating the methods they have used and hope to adapt the methods with other multicultural communities. They are pleased to share the lessons they have learnt.
Contact: Dr Helen Badge helen.badge@health.nsw.gov.au