Indigenous Health Initiatives, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Director of Ongomiizwin Research, Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Int J Circumpolar Health. 2022 Dec;81(1):2073069. doi: 10.1080/22423982.2022.2073069.
There is a notable lack of research related to trends in Inuit accessing health services throughout the land known as Canada. Given Nunavut's reliance on specialised services provided in the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario, this gap is particularly problematic, making it more difficult for Nunangat to proactively plan new programs for emerging needs, and for provinces to respond to those needs. The study aimed to address this gap by developing detailed profiles of Inuit accessing health services in Manitoba. We used administrative data routinely collected by Manitoba agencies, to support the development of Inuit-centric services. It was conducted in partnership with the Manitoba Inuit Association, and Inuit Elders from Nunavut Canada and Manitoba. We focused on two interrelated cohorts: Kivallirmiut (Inuit from the Kivalliq region of Nunavut) who come to Winnipeg to access specialised services; and Manitobamiut (Inuit already living in Manitoba). Findings show that health services are primarily accessed in Winnipeg. Half of health services accessed by Kivallirmiut are for in-patient care at facilities with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. The other half are for advanced out-patient care including specialist consults. For Kivallirmiut, hospitalisation for pregnancy and birth are the most prevalent reasons for hospitalisation, followed by diseases of the respiratory system. Noteworthy, rates of hospitalisation for conditions treatable in primary healthcare for Kivallirmiut are considerably lower than those for Manitobans living in the northern part of the province (where comparable constraints exist). For Inuit adults, rates of hospitalisation for these conditions are comparable to those of Manitobans living in small communities. Inuit living in Manitoba are most often hospitalised for mental health reasons, although other reasons are nearly as prevalent. Our results support the need for more Inuit-centric health programming in Winnipeg.
在加拿大这片广袤的土地上，因纽特人获得医疗服务的趋势相关研究明显不足。鉴于努纳武特地区依赖于西北地区、艾伯塔省、曼尼托巴省和安大略省提供的专业服务，这一差距尤其成问题，这使得努纳武特更难主动为新出现的需求规划新的项目，也使得省份难以满足这些需求。该研究旨在通过开发有关在马尼托巴省获得医疗服务的因纽特人的详细资料来填补这一空白。我们使用马尼托巴省机构定期收集的行政数据来支持以因纽特人为中心的服务的发展。该研究是与马尼托巴因纽特协会以及来自加拿大努纳武特和马尼托巴的因纽特长老合作进行的。我们专注于两个相互关联的群体：基瓦利尔米特（来自努纳武特基瓦利克地区的因纽特人），他们来温尼伯接受专业服务；以及马尼托巴米特（已经居住在马尼托巴的因纽特人）。研究结果表明，医疗服务主要在温尼伯获得。基瓦利尔米特人获得的一半医疗服务是在温尼伯地区卫生局管理的设施中接受住院治疗。另一半是接受高级门诊治疗，包括专家咨询。对于基瓦利尔米特人来说，因妊娠和分娩而住院是最常见的住院原因，其次是呼吸系统疾病。值得注意的是，基瓦利尔米特人可在初级保健中治疗的疾病的住院率明显低于居住在该省北部的因纽特人（那里存在类似的限制）。对于因纽特成年人来说，这些疾病的住院率与居住在小社区的因纽特人相当。因纽特人在马尼托巴最常因心理健康原因住院，尽管其他原因也同样普遍。我们的研究结果支持在温尼伯开展更多以因纽特人为中心的健康规划的必要性。
