The Australian Digital Health Agency faced a significant challenge: promoting My Health Record to multicultural communities. For those with English as a second language or low proficiency, navigating Australia's health system, especially new digital services, is daunting. The goal was to educate them about this safe, secure online platform, build familiarity and trust, and encourage engagement. Etcom was tasked with developing accurate, culturally appropriate in-language resources and advertising for 23 multicultural and 2 First Nations languages.
Etcom understood that messaging had to clearly convey control and accessibility, empowering audiences to make informed decisions. We exclusively used NAATI Professional level translators and writers, consulting closely with the creative agency and FECCA. Our process involved reviewing English resources for clarity and cultural appropriateness. Messaging focused on key questions: "What is My Health Record?", "You're in control," "Security and Privacy," and "How it benefits you." We culturally reviewed and tested animated characters, recommending new animations for specific communities, including those of Islamic faith, to ensure sensitivity. For First Nations languages (Kriol and Yumpla Tok), Etcom sourced and engaged the few available translators capable of transcribing these largely spoken languages into written form, overcoming significant logistical challenges to develop vital resources.
The campaign's success in reaching and engaging multicultural communities was underpinned by high-quality, culturally appropriate resources, including booklets, flyers, website content, and digital ads, all translated into multiple languages and delivered within strict timeframes. Translations were independently reviewed by FECCA, confirming accuracy. These resources remain available on the My Health Record campaign website, contributing to approximately 24 million Australians having a My Health Record today. This success demonstrates the effectiveness of our precision translation and transcreation process and our commitment to authentic cultural connection, highlighting the critical importance of highly qualified human translators and proactive data security communication in building trust for digital health services.