Healthcare should be accessible for all: development of the ObServation Tool and Resource for Inclusive Communication in Healthcare (OSTRICH)

PURPOSE: This project aimed to document the co‑design methodology that informed the development of the OSTRICH tool, created to capture barriers and facilitators of inclusive communication in healthcare services. METHOD: The co-design process included four phases: preparation, design, evaluation and implementation. Data derived from a range of stakeholders across four healthcare services and included: two focus groups, three written reflections and consumer, readability and terminology reviews. Qualitative thematic analysis was used for the preparation and implementation, with content analysis for the design and evaluation. RESULTS: The preparation phase identified the need to capture observations of inclusive communication across the patient healthcare journey. The environment, interactions and resources were identified as key constructs in the design phase. The evaluation phase highlighted the modifications needed for use across a wider range of health services, improved readability and terminology alignment, and integration of consumer feedback. Implementation highlighted potential for wider uptake and future scalability. CONCLUSIONS: The OSTRICH is a tool that promotes awareness of service and systems-level barriers and enablers to inclusive communication, aligning with a call to healthcare services to "Let's not bury our heads in the sand." Use of the OSTRICH has potential to enhance quality and safety of healthcare.