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Bailey NGN, Knott R, Grenier G, Craig KD, Kramer JLK. Physical pain among Indigenous Peoples in Canada: a scoping review. Can J Anaesth 2023; 70:1047-1063. [PMID: 37341897 DOI: 10.1007/s12630-023-02461-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Pain is a multifaceted experience shaped by various factors including context of pain, previous life events, and ongoing ethnocultural circumstances. Moreover, the definition of pain is inconsistent across cultures. Western medicine views physical pain (e.g., associated with a bone fracture) and nonphysical mental pain (e.g., depression) as two distinct conditions. Indigenous perspectives are often more wholistic, encompassing mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical hurt. The subjective nature of pain invites ample opportunity for discrimination in both its assessment and management. As such, it is important to consider Indigenous perspectives of pain in research and clinical practice. To investigate which aspects of Indigenous pain knowledge are currently considered by Western research, we conducted a scoping review of the literature on pain in Indigenous Peoples of Canada. SOURCE In June 2021, we searched nine databases and downloaded 8,220 papers after removal of duplicates. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full-text articles. PRINCIPLE FINDINGS Seventy-seven papers were included in the analysis. Using grounded theory, five themes emerged: pain measures/scales (n = 7), interventions (n = 13), pharmaceuticals (n = 17), pain expression/experiences (n = 45), and pain conditions (n = 70). CONCLUSION This scoping review shows that there is a paucity of research on pain measurement in Indigenous Peoples of Canada. This finding is concerning in light of numerous studies reporting that Indigenous Peoples experience their pain as ignored, minimized, or disbelieved. Furthermore, a clear disconnect emerged between pain expression in Indigenous Peoples and assessment in medical professionals. We hope that this scoping review will serve to translate current knowledge to other non-Indigenous academics and to initiate meaningful collaboration with Indigenous partners. Future research led by Indigenous academics and community partners is critically needed to better address pain needs in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole G N Bailey
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Robbie Knott
- Indigenous Research Support Initiative, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Georgia Grenier
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kenneth D Craig
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - John L K Kramer
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Bartels SA, MacKenzie M, Douglas SL, Collier A, Pritchard J, Purkey E, Messenger D, Walker M. Emergency department care experiences among members of equity-deserving groups: quantitative results from a cross-sectional mixed methods study. BMC Emerg Med 2023; 23:21. [PMID: 36809981 PMCID: PMC9942657 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-023-00792-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergency departments (EDs) serve an integral role in healthcare, particularly for vulnerable populations. However, marginalized groups often report negative ED experiences, including stigmatizing attitudes and behaviours. We engaged with historically marginalized patients to better understand their ED care experiences. METHOD Participants were invited to complete an anonymous mixed-methods survey about a previous ED experience. We analysed quantitative data including controls and equity-deserving groups (EDGs) - those who self-identified as: (a) Indigenous; (b) having a disability; (c) experiencing mental health issues; (d) a person who uses substances; (e) a sexual and gender minority; (f) a visible minority; (g) experiencing violence; and/or (h) facing homelessness - to identify differences in their perspectives. Differences between EDGs and controls were calculated with chi squared tests, geometric means with confidence ellipses, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test. RESULTS We collected a total of 2114 surveys from 1973 unique participants, 949 controls and 994 who identified as equity-deserving. Members of EDGs were more likely to attribute negative feelings to their ED experience (p < 0.001), to indicate that their identity impacted the care received (p < 0.001), and that they felt disrespected and/or judged while in the ED (p < 0.001). Members of EDGs were also more likely to indicate that they had little control over healthcare decisions (p < 0.001) and that it was more important to be treated with kindness/respect than to receive the best possible care (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Members of EDGs were more likely to report negative ED care experiences. Equity-deserving individuals felt judged and disrespected by ED staff and felt disempowered to make decisions about their care. Next steps will include contextualizing findings using participants' qualitative data and identifying how to improve ED care experiences among EDGs to make it more inclusive and better able to meet their healthcare needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan A Bartels
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. .,Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
| | - Meredith MacKenzie
- Department of Family Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Street Health Centre, part of Kingston Community Health Centres, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Stuart L Douglas
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Department of Critical Care Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Amanda Collier
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Jodie Pritchard
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Eva Purkey
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Department of Family Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - David Messenger
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Department of Critical Care Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Melanie Walker
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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First Nations emergency care in Alberta: descriptive results of a retrospective cohort study. BMC Health Serv Res 2021; 21:423. [PMID: 33947385 PMCID: PMC8096356 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06415-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Worse health outcomes are consistently reported for First Nations people in Canada. Social, political and economic inequities as well as inequities in health care are major contributing factors to these health disparities. Emergency care is an important health services resource for First Nations people. First Nations partners, academic researchers, and health authority staff are collaborating to examine emergency care visit characteristics for First Nations and non-First Nations people in the province of Alberta. Methods We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study examining all Alberta emergency care visits from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2017 by linking administrative data. Patient demographics and emergency care visit characteristics for status First Nations persons in Alberta, and non-First Nations persons, are reported. Frequencies and percentages (%) describe patients and visits by categorical variables (e.g., Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale). Means, medians, standard deviations and interquartile ranges describe continuous variables (e.g., age). Results The dataset contains 11,686,288 emergency care visits by 3,024,491 unique persons. First Nations people make up 4% of the provincial population and 9.4% of provincial emergency visits. The population rate of emergency visits is nearly 3 times higher for First Nations persons than non-First Nations persons. First Nations women utilize emergency care more than non-First Nations women (54.2% of First Nations visits are by women compared to 50.9% of non-First Nations visits). More First Nations visits end in leaving without completing treatment (6.7% v. 3.6%). Conclusions Further research is needed on the impact of First Nations identity on emergency care drivers and outcomes, and on emergency care for First Nations women. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-06415-2.
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Patient Race/Ethnicity and Diagnostic Imaging Utilization in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review. J Am Coll Radiol 2020; 18:795-808. [PMID: 33385337 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2020.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Diagnostic imaging often is a critical contributor to clinical decision making in the emergency department (ED). Racial and ethnic disparities are widely reported in many aspects of health care, and several recent studies have reported a link between patient race/ethnicity and receipt of imaging in the ED. METHODS The authors conducted a systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, searching three databases (PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library) through July 2020 using keywords related to diagnostic imaging, race/ethnicity, and the ED setting, including both adult and pediatric populations and excluding studies that did not control for the important confounders of disease severity and insurance status. RESULTS The search strategy identified 7,313 articles, of which 5,668 underwent title and abstract screening and 238 full-text review, leaving 42 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Studies were predominately conducted in the United States (41), split between adult (13) and pediatric (17) populations or both (12), and spread across a variety of topics, mostly focusing on specific anatomic regions or disease processes. Most studies (30 of 42 [71.4%]) reported an association between Black, African American, Hispanic, or nonwhite race/ethnicity and decreased receipt of imaging. CONCLUSIONS Despite heterogeneity among studies, patient race/ethnicity is linked with receipt of diagnostic imaging in the ED. The strength and directionality of this association may differ by specific subpopulation and disease process, and more efforts to understand potential underlying factors are needed.
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McLane P, Bill L, Barnabe C. First Nations members' emergency department experiences in Alberta: a qualitative study. CAN J EMERG MED 2020; 23:63-74. [PMID: 33683609 DOI: 10.1007/s43678-020-00009-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In Alberta, First Nations members visit Emergency Departments (EDs) at almost double the rate of non-First Nations persons. Previous publications demonstrate differences in ED experience for First Nations members, compared to the general population. The Alberta First Nations Information Governance Centre (AFNIGC), First Nations organizations, Universities, and Alberta Health Services conducted this research to better understand First Nations members' ED experiences and expectations. METHODS This was a participatory research project. Elders selected topics of focus through discussion with the research team, and approved our method of data collection. Sharing circles were held in February 2018 with Elders, First Nations patients, healthcare providers and health administrators from across Alberta. We analyzed data using the Western approach of thematic analysis, with review by two Indigenous team members. AFNIGC is custodian of the research data on behalf of Alberta First Nations, and approves publication of this work. RESULTS Forty-six persons participated in four sharing circles lasting between one and a half and three hours. Findings included First Nations patients' understandings of ED work, limited access to primary care services driving ED use, expectations of different treatment in ED based on race, experiences of racism, concerns about interactions with Children's Services, healthcare avoidance, and avoiding specific hospitals. Equity approaches were identified as key to improving First Nations patients' ED experiences. CONCLUSIONS Bringing First Nations perspectives to Western understandings of ED care is an important step toward identifying required improvements in the health system for better patient experiences and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick McLane
- Emergency Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services, 2-033 10030 107 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5J 3E4, Canada. .,Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
| | - Lea Bill
- Alberta First Nations Information Governance Centre, Calgary, Canada
| | - Cheryl Barnabe
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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Varcoe C, Bungay V, Browne AJ, Wilson E, Wathen CN, Kolar K, Perrin N, Comber S, Blanchet Garneau A, Byres D, Black A, Price ER. EQUIP Emergency: study protocol for an organizational intervention to promote equity in health care. BMC Health Serv Res 2019; 19:687. [PMID: 31601199 PMCID: PMC6785893 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4494-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social inequities are widening globally, contributing to growing health and health care inequities. Health inequities are unjust differences in health and well-being between and within groups of people caused by socially structured, and thus avoidable, marginalizing conditions such as poverty and systemic racism. In Canada, such conditions disproportionately affect Indigenous persons, racialized newcomers, those with mental health and substance use issues, and those experiencing interpersonal violence. Despite calls to enhance equity in health care to contribute to improving population health, few studies examine how to achieve equity at the point of care, and the impacts of doing so. Many people facing marginalizing conditions experience inadequate and inequitable treatment in emergency departments (EDs), which makes people less likely to access care, paradoxically resulting in reliance on EDs through delays to care and repeat visits, interfering with effective care delivery and increasing human and financial costs. EDs are key settings with potential for mitigating the impacts of structural conditions and barriers to care linked to health inequities. Methods EQUIP is an organizational intervention to promote equity. Building on promising research in primary health care, we are adapting EQUIP to emergency departments, and testing its impact at three geographically and demographically diverse EDs in one Canadian province. A mixed methods multisite design will examine changes in key outcomes including: a) a longitudinal analysis of change over time based on structured assessments of patients and staff, b) an interrupted time series design of administrative data (i.e., staff sick leave, patients who leave without care being completed), c) a process evaluation to assess how the intervention was implemented and the contextual features of the environment and process that are influential for successful implementation, and d) a cost-benefit analysis. Discussion This project will generate both process- and outcome-based evidence to improve the provision of equity-oriented health care in emergency departments, particularly targeting groups known to be at greatest risk for experiencing the negative impacts of health and health care inequities. The main deliverable is a health equity-enhancing framework, including implementable, measurable interventions, tested, refined and relevant to diverse EDs. Trial registration Clinical Trials.gov #NCT03369678 (registration date November 18, 2017).
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen Varcoe
- Critical Research in Health and Healthcare Inequities Research Unit, School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Vicky Bungay
- Critical Research in Health and Healthcare Inequities Research Unit, School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Annette J Browne
- Critical Research in Health and Healthcare Inequities Research Unit, School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Erin Wilson
- School of Nursing, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada
| | - C Nadine Wathen
- Faculty of Information & Media Studies & Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Kat Kolar
- Critical Research in Health and Healthcare Inequities Research Unit, School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nancy Perrin
- Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Scott Comber
- Rowe School of Business, Dalhousie University, Halifax, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Agnes Black
- Professional Practice Office, Providence Health Care, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Elder Roberta Price
- Critical Research in Health and Healthcare Inequities Research Unit, School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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