OBJECTIVE
To provide research evidence to enable the transformation of primary health care in remote northern communities in Canada.
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Health care in Canada’s North faces considerable challenges with its remote and widely dispersed population, harsh environmental conditions, and thinly deployed health professionals. Despite per capita expenditures that are among the highest in the world, health outcomes continue to lag behind the rest of Canada, and health disparities between the Aboriginal and non-aboriginal population within the North continue to persist. While improving the health of Northerners requires addressing underlying social determinants, transforming the health care system holds promise in the short and medium term. The evidence required to inform a northern-focused and relevant transformation, however, remains to be generated. Our proposal in community-based primary health care is timely and addresses a priority identified by Northerners.
The proposed Circumpolar Health Systems Innovation Team (CircHSIT) builds on substantial prior Canadian-focused research generated over the past decade and responds to recent renewed interest in Arctic issues by the federal government and among Canadians. It builds on considerable prior collaboration, particularly the just completed circumpolar health system review, which describes the key features of northern health care in 8 Arctic States and identifies cross-cutting themes for further research. Canada can learn from its circumpolar neighbours, and vice versa. The recently released report on Canada’s strategic role in global health identified circumpolar and Aboriginal health as a Canadian strength and one of five strategic opportunities. The North can learn from the global health research community while solutions developed in the North can benefit other remote regions globally.
RELEVANT LINKS
- ICHR website: http://www.ichr.ca/2014/05/cicrumpolar-health-systems-innovation-team/
- Assessing health care in Canada's North: what can we learn from national and regional surveys? Young K, Ng C, and Chatwood S. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2015; 74: 10.3402/ijch.v74.28436.
- Approaching Etuaptmumk – introducing a consensus-based mixed method for health services research. Chatwood S et al. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2015; 74: 10.3402/ijch.v74.27438.
- Primary health care accessibility challenges in remote indigenous communities in Canada's North. Oosterveer TM, Young TK. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2015 Oct 26;74:29576.
- Transforming Health Care in Remote Communities: report on an international conference. Young TK, Chatwood S, Ford J, Healey G, Jong M, Lavoie J and White M. BMC Proc. 2016; 10(Suppl 6): 6.
- Assessing clinical support and inter-professional interactions among front-line primary care providers in remote communities in northern Canada: a pilot study. Young SK and Young TK. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2016; 75: 10.3402/ijch.v75.32159.
- Backcountry Travel Emergencies in Arctic Canada: A Pilot Study in Public Health Surveillance. Young SK, Tabish TB, Pollock NJ, Young TK. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016 Mar 3;13(3).
RELEVANT LINKS - NUNAVUT
- Pharmaceutical health care and Inuit language communications in Nunavut, Canada. Romain SJ. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2013; 72: 10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21409.
- Policy versus practice: a community-based qualitative study of the realities of pharmacy services in Nunavut, Canada. Romain SJ, Kohler JC, Young K. J Pharm Policy Pract. 2015 Sep 21;8(1):22.
- The role of environmental factors in search and rescue incidents in Nunavut, Canada. Clark DG, Ford JD, Berrang-Ford L, Pearce T, Kowal S, Gough WA. Public Health. 2016 Aug;137:44-9.
- Vulnerability to unintentional injuries associated with land-use activities and search and rescue in Nunavut, Canada. Clark DG, Forca JD, Pearce T, Berrang-Forda L. Social Science & Medicine. Volume 169, November 2016, Pages 18-26.
- “We don’t have the words in Inuktitut”: Pharmacy translations in Nunavut, Canada. Romain SJ. Cogent Social Sciences. Volume 3, 2017 - Issue 1.
- Research Proposal: The Circumpolar Health Systems Innovation Team Download
- Conference Report: Approaching a Collaborative Research Agenda for Health Systems Performance in Circumpolar Regions Download
- Research Paper: Healthcare in Canada's North: Are We Getting Value for Money? Download
- CMAJ Commentary: Delivering More Equitable Primary Health Care in Northern Canada Download