Supporting Agency, Facing Equity: An environmental scan of Indigenous cultural safety training for primary care providers 

Overview

Anti-Indigenous racism in primary healthcare is deeply rooted in historic and ongoing system discrimination. First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples continue to face long-standing barriers to accessing equitable healthcare and practicing self-determination, and this results in significant health disparities.   

There is a need for transformative change in the way the healthcare system operates to promote health and health equity for Indigenous peoples.  

What we did

This environmental scan, produced for Wellesley Institute by an Indigenous-led research team at Unity Health Toronto, in line with OCAP® principles, identifies and analyzes existing programs and frameworks that aim to mitigate anti-Indigenous racism within primary healthcare services in Ontario at organizational, clinical and individual levels. 

Key findings

The scan identified and summarized effective toolkits and webinars developed by nine organizations, and effective training programs and courses from six other organizations. Collectively, they can be applied to diverse audiences within primary healthcare including nurses, social workers, community mental health workers and physicians. They range in cost, time commitment and how their effectiveness is assessed.   

Key message

The solutions to decreasing anti-Indigenous racism already exist within Indigenous communities. As trainings become increasingly mandated and more widely available, it will be crucial that their delivery and effectiveness be continually assessed and guided by Indigenous voices and researchers. Evolving Indigenous education is essential to ensuring safe, equitable healthcare.  

Policy implications

These resources highlight that cultural safety for Indigenous populations should be a core component of healthcare education moving forward. Policymakers should also engage in training.   

We are grateful for funding from the Ministry of Health of the Province of Ontario, which enabled this study. 

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This environmental scan is a complement to a related Wellesley Institute report exploring healthcare access and services for Indigenous Peoples in Ontario.