The Observation Tool and Resource for Inclusive Communication in Healthcare (OSTRICH) helps health services check how accessible their communication is.
Any health worker can use the tool, no matter what their job is.
The OSTRICH follows a person’s journey through the health service and looks at how various aspects of a service affect communication. It can be used to:
- Observe enablers and barriers:
- in the healthcare environment (e.g. noise or wayfinding)
- during interactions between staff members and people using the services, and within resources (e.g. handouts or posters) provided by the service
- Collect feedback from staff members, and people using the service
- Identify a service’s strengths and areas for improvement to improve inclusive communication
The OSTRICH was developed as part of the ‘Communication for Safe Care’ project. It is based on the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning (WHO ICF).
The OSTRICH is currently available as:
- A downloadable blank PDF
For access to these resources, please contact the ABI Lab at abi.communication-lab@sydney.edu.au
How to cite: Bogart, E. Brunner, M. Rietdijk, R. Carorasan, R. Chapman , N. Johnson, A. Kelly , K. Malik, Z. Micallef, L. Nisbet, G. Ng, J. Prasad, T. Walter, A. & Togher, L. (2025). OSTRICH: ObServation Tool and Resource for Inclusive Communication in Healthcare. Retrieved from https://abi-communication-lab.sydney.edu.au/ostrich-observation-tool-and-resource-for-inclusive-communication-in-healthcare/
