Innovations in Indigenous Primary Healthcare Models

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Montesanti, S., Barnabe, C., Fitzpatrick, K., MacDonald K., Goves, D., Robson, H., Marchand, T., Henderson, R., & Crowshoe, L.

• Primary health care (PHC) is essential for promoting health and wellness and reducing health inequities. PHC plays an important role in life expectancy, chronic disease management, community health, maternal and child health, and many other aspects of health and wellness. Indigenous populations have poorer health outcomes compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. Innovations in Indigenous PHC services arose from mainstream health services being unable to adequately meet the needs of Indigenous communities and Indigenous peoples (Harfield, et al., 2018). However, there is limited knowledge of the characteristics that contribute to the success of Indigenous-driven models for PHC. The term ‘models of care’ broadly defines the way health services are delivered. An Indigenous model of care outlines best practice care and services for Indigenous communities and utilizes the strengths and collaborative skills of many health professionals and traditional healers. Moreover, an Indigenous model of care fosters relationships and collaboration between care providers, patients, families, and caregivers, and ensures Indigenous knowledge, local context, equity of access, and integration of services is supported.
  The objectives of this scoping review are to: a) identify key characteristics and features of Indigenous-led or Indigenous-focused PHC models for advancing PHC delivery and meeting the health needs of Indigenous peoples; and b) contextual or environmental enablers that support innovations in Indigenous PHC models (e.g., supportive policy environment, federal, provincial, state/territory relations, community readiness, governance, infrastructure and workforce supply). We will also include a consideration of key contextual factors such as historical trauma, colonization, geography, and racism to understand the factors influencing Indigenous PHC models.

• Date created

  2021-03-21

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Indigenous Health; Primary Healthcare;

• Type of Item

  Research Material

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-8m6b-e767

• License

  Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International