Understanding virtual primary healthcare with Indigenous populations: a rapid evidence review.
BMC Health Serv Res
; 23(1): 303, 2023 Mar 29.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2259282
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Virtual care has become an increasingly useful tool for the virtual delivery of care across the globe. With the unexpected emergence of COVID-19 and ongoing public health restrictions, it has become evident that the delivery of high-quality telemedicine is critical to ensuring the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples, especially those living in rural and remote communities.METHODS:
We conducted a rapid evidence review from August to December 2021 to understand how high quality Indigenous primary healthcare is defined in virtual modalities. After completing data extraction and quality appraisal, a total of 20 articles were selected for inclusion. The following question was used to guide the rapid review How is high quality Indigenous primary healthcare defined in virtual modalities?RESULTS:
We discuss key limitations to the delivery of virtual care, including the increasing cost of technology, lack of accessibility, challenges with digital literacy, and language barriers. This review further yielded four main themes that highlight Indigenous virtual primary healthcare quality (1) limitations and barriers of virtual primary healthcare, (2) Indigenous-centred virtual primary healthcare, (3) virtual Indigenous relationality, (4) collaborative approaches to ensuring holistic virtual care.DISCUSSION:
For virtual care to be Indigenous-centred, Indigenous leadership and users need to be partners in the development, implementation and evaluation of the intervention, service or program. In terms of virtual models of care, time must be allocated to educate Indigenous partners on digital literacy, virtual care infrastructure, benefits and limitations. Relationality and culture must be prioritized as well as digital health equity.CONCLUSION:
These findings highlight important considerations for strengthening virtual primary healthcare approaches to meet the needs of Indigenous peoples worldwide.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Telemedicine
/
COVID-19
/
Health Services, Indigenous
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Qualitative research
/
Reviews
Topics:
Traditional medicine
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
BMC Health Serv Res
Journal subject:
Health Services Research
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S12913-023-09299-6
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