Objectives. This paper documents an exceptional research partnership developed between the Vuntut Gwitchin Government (VGG) in Old Crow, Yukon, with a group of scientists to examine northern food security and health as part of a larger, multidisciplinary International Polar Year (IPY) research program. We focus on the elements that enabled a successful community-researcher relationship. Study design. The VGG led the development of the research and acted as Principal Investigator on the IPY grant. The multidisciplinary collaboration spanned the physical, biological and health sciences, including issues related to food security. Methods. The food security and health component of this research was carried out using a series of complementary methods, including focus groups, structured interviews, a household questionnaire, an interactive workshop, community meetings, transcript analysis and a caribou flesh exposure assessment. Results. Results from the food security component are informing local and regional adaptation planning. The legacy of the research collaboration includes a number of results-based outputs for a range of stakeholders, a community-based environmental monitoring program, long-term research relationships and improved community capacity. Conclusions. The type of collaboration described here provides a useful model for new types of participatory health research with northern communities.
Medical and supportive care can be inaccessible, unavailable, and unaffordable for cancer survivors living in rural northern communities.
Background: The unmet needs of cancer survivors in rural, remote, and aboriginal communities are largely unexplored. We explored potential differences between rural survivors (rss) in 4 general population (gp) and 4 First Nations (fn) communities. Methods: We approached 4 gp and 4 fn rs communities to participate in a mixed-methods project. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (hads) and the Survivor Unmet Needs Survey (suns) and provided demographic information. Each question on the suns can be scored from 0 to 4, with 0 representing “no unmet need” and 4 representing “very high unmet need.” A directed approach to content analysis of focus group and interview data was used to triangulate the hads and suns results. Results: We prospectively accrued 23 fn rss and 56 gp rss for this study. More fn rss had borderline or abnormal anxiety (5% vs. 21%, p = 0.02). Compared with gp rss, fn rss had higher unmet needs scores in all categories: Information (2.29 vs. 0.8, p < 0.001), Work and Financial (1.66 vs. 0.5, p < 0.001), Access and Continuity of Health Care (1.83 vs. 0.44, p < 0.001), Coping and Sharing (2.22 vs. 0.62, p < 0.001), and Emotional (2.12 vs. 0.63, p < 0.001). The qualitative findings provided examples and insight into the unmet needs experienced by rss. Conclusions: First Nations rss had significantly higher anxiety and unmet needs compared with their gp rs counterparts. In addition, different qualitative themes were identified in the groups. Our findings support the development of tailored approaches to survivorship for these populations.
Improving access to cancer care together with Indigenous peoplesUnder the Canada Health Act, all Canadians are given access to universal health care, including cancer care. However, many First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples have poor quality health care and outcomes. Several factors affect this, but the most relevant is equitable access to care. Following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, there is growing attention to the role of reconciliation in programme and policy development and in implementation of health services, particularly of cancer services.Here we discuss opportunities to incorporate reconciliation practices across the continuum of care that supports the diversity of Indigenous communities, geography, and stakeholders throughout Canada, and relate them to other Indigenous populations worldwide. Guided by the essential component of building productive working relationships with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis leadership, health networks, and communities based on trust and mutual respect, Cancer Care Ontario's Aboriginal Cancer Strategy can be seen as a best practice. Other examples include those to meet the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that have been implemented within the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control.In 2002, Cancer Care Ontario completed a needs assessment to further understand the growing disparities in cancer care among Ontario's First Nations people.
Background and context: Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography is recommended by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care for individuals at high risk. While no organized lung cancer screening programs currently exist, several Canadian jurisdictions have begun to plan for program implementation with pilot programs, studies, or business cases. Aim: The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (the Partnership) has supported lung cancer screening activities by initiating a series of projects to promote lung health in Canada. Strategy/Tactics: The Partnership responded to emerging evidence on lung cancer screening with the establishment of the Pan-Canadian Lung Cancer Screening Network (PLCSN) in 2012. The PLCSN brings together key stakeholders from across Canada to promote pan-Canadian collaboration and serves as a national platform for knowledge exchange. Program/Policy process: One of the first priorities of the PLCSN was the development of a consensus statement-based Lung Cancer Screening Framework for Canada in 2014. The Framework outlines key considerations for lung cancer screening programs, including screening eligibility, radiologic testing, pathology quality and reporting, diagnostic treatment and follow-up, and the inclusion of smoking cessation interventions. As the development of the Framework drew to completion, the second priority of the PLCSN was the development of national quality indicators for lung cancer screening. An initial set of ten national-level lung cancer screening quality indicators was developed for national reporting. Most recently, the PLCSN developed a list of five quality-related lung cancer screening questions that should be explored in advance of the widespread implementation of lung cancer screening programs. These considerations included eligibility, enrollment, smoking cessation, nodule management and the effect of lung cancer screening programs on projected lung cancer mortality. Other Partnership initiatives to promote lung health include health economic modeling for lung cancer screening and collecting data on evidence-based smoking cessation programs. Outcomes: These initiatives have aligned pan-Canadian lung cancer screening efforts to facilitate knowledge sharing and resource efficiency, standardization of data collection and reporting, and acceleration of lung cancer screening in Canada. As of January 2018, four provinces have completed business cases, one province has implemented a pilot study, and three trials are ongoing across the country. Partnership initiatives and resources were used by several jurisdictions to inform the development of lung health activities. What was learned: By initiating these activities in advance of organized lung cancer screening programs, the Partnership has contributed to the evidence base on best practices in lung cancer screening that will be necessary for successful program implementation.
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