Reviewing Inequities in Primary Care Received by Indigenous Peoples in Ontario

Abstract

Research has shown that Indigenous peoples in Canada experience health inequities when compared to the non-Indigenous population. High quality primary care has been described in literature; however, this has not been explored through the lens of Indigenous health. A scoping review was performed in order to investigate the quality of primary care received by indigenous peoples in Ontario. To conduct this review, a search of current literature on primary care in Indigenous communities in Ontario was performed. The studies examined in this review were derived from four different databases and many evaluated specific communities using a qualitative and quantitative approach. Several themes were identified including inadequate preparation and training of health care providers, physician and nursing shortages, strategies associated with improved quality of care, management of mental health, disparities in health service delivery station types and ineffective primary care impacts on hospitalizations. This literature search demonstrated a clear gap in the literature on the quality of primary care received by the Indigenous population in Ontario. Thus, further research is necessary in order to outline the current state of primary care being delivered to Indigenous populations in Ontario, and develop strategies to enhance the quality of care for this population.