Home, the Heart of my Research

In many First Nation communities, the use of digital health technologies (DHT’s) in care provision are becoming commonplace. DHT’s make it possible to bridge the distance gap for health care services from urban centres to remote northern communities. However, not all communities have the infrastructure or funding to support the use of DHT’s and still require relocation of patients by air or road to urban centres for care. In my home community of Berens River First Nation, Manitoba (pictured), some of our members require specialized health services that often involve a mixture of both the use of DHT’s and relocation. Little is known about the care experiences of First Nations communities and whether the use of DHT’s is contributing to better care experiences, improving health outcomes, or lowering rates of relocation for care. My research aims to uncover First Nations care experiences with the use of digital health technologies, utilizing semi-structured interviews. Research findings will be beneficial to communities, nurses and other health care providers, various stakeholders and policy makers, and will ultimately contribute to improving health outcomes of First Nations in Canada.