Cultural orientation and safety app for new and short-term health care providers in Nunavut
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INNOVATIONS IN POLICY AND PRACTICE
Cultural orientation and safety app for new and short-term health care providers in Nunavut Gwen Healey Akearok 1 & Taha Tabish 1 & Maria Cherba 1,2 Received: 5 September 2019 / Accepted: 24 February 2020 # The Canadian Public Health Association 2020
Abstract Setting One of the greatest challenges of Nunavut’s health care system is its reliance on short-term professionals, many of whom are not oriented to the Inuit historical/cultural context and the organization of health care in the territory. Our objective was to develop a free iOS/Android app to address this knowledge gap. Intervention We reviewed existing literature and interviewed key stakeholders to develop the content of the app covering the following: Inuit ways of communicating and expectations in the health care setting; Inuit history, settlement, and societal values (including a bibliography and a list of Inuktitut language phrases and resources); health care model (including referral pathways for tertiary care and mental health referrals); maps and community information; and useful information to prepare for your arrival. The app, HealthNU, was launched in September 2017. We targeted new and short-term health care providers in Nunavut, and the app has also been circulated and used by social workers, educators, and health care providers outside of the territory. Outcomes By September 5, 2019, the app had been downloaded more than 700 times. To evaluate the app, we conducted interviews and a brief survey with key stakeholders (n = 18), who indicated that (1) the app was easy to use; (2) the content was highly relevant and would result in improved cultural competencies; and (3) they would recommend the app to colleagues and were already using it for recruitment/orientation. Challenges and limitations included: ensuring practitioners “completed” all modules while reading/using the app, and low response rate among providers who were solicited for feedback. Implications HealthNU is an example of how technology solutions developed in partnership with community members, health care providers, researchers, and government can improve the quality of care for Nunavummiut. We are currently working with the Nunavut Department of Health to develop similar apps in other contexts. Résumé Contexte L’un des plus grands défis du système de santé du Nunavut réside dans sa dépendance à des professionnels temporaires, dont beaucoup ne sont pas formés au contexte historique/culturel inuit et à l’organisation des soins de santé dans le territoire. Notre objectif était de développer une application iOS/Android gratuite pour répondre à ce besoin. Intervention Nous avons examiné la littérature existante et nous avons consulté les principaux intervenants pour élaborer le contenu de l’application, qui couvre : les modes de communication et les attentes des Inuits en matière de soins de santé; histoire, établissement et valeurs sociétales des Inuits (incluant une bibliographie et une liste de ressources et phrases en Inuktitut); modèle de soins d
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