Dismantling sociocultural barriers to eye care with tele-ophthalmology: lessons from an Alberta Cree community (original) (raw)
There are significant disparities in access to health care amongst Aboriginal Canadians. The purpose of this study was to determine whether tele-ophthalmology services, provided to Aboriginal Canadians in a culturally-sensitive community-based clinic, could overcome social and cultural barriers in ways that would be difficult in the traditional hospital-based setting. The Aboriginal Diabetes Wellness Program of Alberta incorporates culturally-sensitive health-related activities and rituals as a component of a diabetic retinopathy tele-ophthalmology screening program. Metrics of program attendance were collected while stakeholders participated in a survey to identify barriers to healthcare delivery. Aboriginal patients, cultural liaison, nurses and program administrators revealed economic, geographic, social and cultural barriers to healthcare faced by Aboriginal people. It was found that the introduction of culturally-sensitive programs led to increased appointment attendance; from ...