Translation of a Psychosocial Education Program developed for families with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), translated into Vietnamese. This project in DVD format was launched at the APPES Continuing Medical Education Symposium – Hanoi Vietnam 2011

Irene Mitchelhill, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Sydney Children’s Hospital, RANDWICK NSW Australia.

After completing her Master of Nursing (Hons) by research last year with a thesis titled “Evaluation of a Psychosocial Education Program for families with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia” Irene pursued completion of the overall project, buy converting program into an Audiovisual DVD format.

In communication with an organisation called CLAN (Caring Living As Neighbours), came the idea and the need to translate this program into Vietnamese. It so happens that the incidence of CAH in the Vietnamese population is extremely high (1:6,000). As a developing country, Vietnam has limited resources in educational materials for families in their own language, as well as some medications needed for children with chronic illness. CLAN has been able to remedy this problem for some conditions, by raising public health awareness and receiving government support in making these life-saving medications available for these children. While in Vietnam, we had the opportunity to visit the National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi, which is currently looking after 500 children with CAH, along with many other chronic paediatric conditions.

Irene’s education program translated into Vietnamese, was presented in a one of the sessions at the Asia Pacific Endocrine Continuing Medical Education Meeting, and was received with much delight, praise and sincere thanks from the local medical staff attending. It has been suggested that Irene pursue other translations: into Indonesian, Philipino and possibly some dialects of the Indian language, and to maybe develop similar programs for other endocrine diagnoses. Irene has done extensive research into the lived experience of patients with CAH, the psychological impact of CAH on the lives of children and their families, and run this education program many times for the patients within the local population, with a number of publications pending. It is wonderful to see how such an adventurous project can have far reaching benefits, far beyond the borders of our wonderful country, and our local population, thanks to organisations such as CLAN and the wonderful health professionals they are able to co-op to assist in the process.

Enormous credit goes to those who assisted Irene with this project to achieve this incredible outcome.

Tran Trieu Phuong Dong MD & Nguyen Bich Phuong MD: Transcript & slide translation, Pam Dawes: Medical Photography, SCH; Nat Jackson: Jackson Speed Web &Film Productions: Final DVD production; Tien Ngyuen: Editing & verbal recording of transcript; Kate Armstrong MD: CLAN for highlighting the benefit of translating the program into Vietnamese. Jennie King, Grant Betts, Murray Fisher: Research associates; Jackie Crisp & Carolyn Briggs – Master supervisors.

Funding resources: Endocrine Nurses Society of Australasia, Sydney Univerity Sesqui Funds, NSW Nurses Registration Board, Sydney Children’s Hospital – Doulgas & Lola Scholarship Fund.