The 2026 Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) IPE Colloquium will take place in Canberra on 05 May, with the theme 'Empowering voices: Educating health professionals for respectful and inclusive conversations'.
"This year's theme speaks deeply to who we are as an organisation and what we believe the future of healthcare must look like," said APC chair, Professor Sarah RobertsThomson.
"At its heart, this theme recognises that communication is not just a professional skill - it is a foundation of safe, personcentred care.
"It reminds us that the way we prepare future health professionals must evolve alongside the communities they serve," she said.
Attendees will hear from diverse advocates, educators, researchers and speakers with lived experience as they equip future professionals with the skills and confidence to communicate inclusively across abilities, identities, cultures and experiences.
Professor Jennifer Smith-Merry, Australian Research Council laureate fellow from the University of Sydney, will be joining the speaker line-up.
According to Professor Smith-Merry, inclusive communication starts with communicating with a person to ask them about their communication needs, and trying to address them together.
"The key here is to be open and flexible to different approaches to communication, and not having all the answers but being able to be led by people with disability to understand their needs.
"Sometimes people with disabilities may find it difficult to communicate with you based on previous negative experiences with other health professionals, so try to understand that and acknowledge where that has been the case."
Michael Quach, director of pharmacy for the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, said inclusive communication is "slowing down, being curious and meeting people where they are".
"It's about asking rather than assuming, using respectful language and adapting how we communicate to honour culture, identity, ability and lived experience.
"Barriers like time pressures, unconscious bias and fear of getting it wrong can get in the way.
"A simple tip is to lead with humility, acknowledge what we don't know, ask open questions and genuinely listen feeling heard is often the most powerful form of care."
Quach emphasised the importance of being conscious and intentional about language and assumptions about others.
"For trans and gender-diverse patients in particular, it looks like being asked - not assumed - about names, pronouns, and care needs, and feeling safe to correct a clinician without fear of embarrassment or dismissal."
Queer pharmacist Deni Salmon concurred, saying that harm is often not overt, but comes from everyday moments: "Intake forms that don't reflect identity, gendered language used by default, or clinicians feeling unsure and avoiding conversations altogether".
To overcome this, Salmon suggested normalising affirming communication for everyone.
"Introducing yourself with your name and pronouns, using neutral language until guided otherwise, and asking simple questions - like 'Is there anything about your identity or care that you'd like me to be aware of?' - builds trust without singling anyone out, and can significantly improve patient safety and health outcomes.
"Inclusive communication isn't about getting everything perfect - it's about being willing to listen, learn, and do better in everyday clinical encounters."
Griffith University lecturer Blayne Arnold and Dr Kerry Hall will provide insights into bringing First Nations ways of knowing, being and doing into health professional education.
"Inclusive communication involves reflective, and relational practices that centre listening and respect, to establish shared understanding," Arnold said.
"Barriers such as time pressures exist, where educators/clinicians will default to prioritise efficiency and completion of tasks, leaving little perceived time for deeper, relationship-based conversations.
"A potential solution is to reframe inclusive communication as core practice, not an 'extra'."
Arnold suggested open dialogues can be integrated into routine practices, improving understanding and trust as students and educators are able to share perspectives in an open, non-hierarchical way.
"This approach prioritises listening and respect and facilitates reflective, and relational practices to create shared understanding."
Click HERE to learn more about IPE Colloquium and register. KB
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