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Co-designed by community members and researchers from the University of Sydney , the is an online tool designed to help health professionals and consumers make informed choices once cardiovascular risk has been assessed using the new Australian guidelines.

The tool’s development was led by Associate Professor from the University of Sydney and Dr Rosemary Wyber from the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research at Australian ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ University. Its launch coincides with .

The tool’s development was informed by yarning sessions with community, led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker, Ms Judith Parnham. Sessions explored shared decision making in the context of heart health.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health workers and practitioners are experts at providing culturally safe and holistic care,” said Associate Professor Bonner. “This tool can guide other health professionals to take a similar approach, to support shared decision making about heart health.”

“We are really excited about applying best practice to shared decision making for mob to talk about heart health. We know that holistic, culturally safe care is critical to reducing cardiovascular risk. This tool supports clinicians to do that really well,” said Mr David Follent, who co-led a team at the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation that established the new shared decision making approaches with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during the COVID-19 response.

“Having a way of talking through the options and choices, using a tool that’s been designed with community members, means that health professionals can make decisions with their patients instead of for them,” said qualitative researcher Dr Shannon McKinn, who interviewed clinicians during development of the tool.

The is freely available online. It was developed with funding support from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.