The Not Deciding Alone team is very excited to share our new comics! The comics tell the stories of Simon and Sarah, who need to make decisions about their health. We created these comics to help share information about how to use shared decision making to make health decisions that are best for you and your family. Please feel free to share with friends and family – Inuktitut versions are coming soon! Thank you to Design de Plume Inc. who collaborated with us to develop these comics. DOWNLOAD ᒥᓇᕆᓗᒍ DOWNLOAD ᒥᓇᕆᓗᒍ

We are very happy to share that our paper on how we work together was accepted into the Integrated Knowledge Translation Research Network’s fifth casebook! This paper shares a little more on how our team started, how we work together, and some insight into what and why we think our team continues to work well together towards a common cause. You can check out the full casebook here:

Inuit are resilient. They have demonstrated self-determination and the ability to navigate and adapt to harsh and changing environments. Inuit live in many locations including urban environments, although most Inuit in Canada live in the traditional territory called Inuit Nunangat. Inuit who live in Inuit Nunangat must travel long distances south to receive specialized health-care services, such as cancer care, obstetrics and dialysis. They must navigate complex health systems in major urban centres, often with little or no personal support. These circumstances limit the opportunities of Inuit community members to participate in their health decisions. When people have opportunities to participate with their health-care providers and to share what is important to them in their health decisions, it is called shared decision making. Shared decision making is identified as a high standard of person-centred care, and supports positive health outcomes. Read the Article Online

For thousands of years, Inuit have adapted to the changes in their environment, and continue to find new and innovative ways to survive.  But life expectancy among populations in Inuit Nunangat (the traditional territory of Inuit in Canada) is an average of 10 years less than that of the general Canadian population. Cancer is a leading cause of this disparity. Inuit experience the highest mortality rates from lung cancer in the world, and mortality rates of some other cancers continue to increase disproportionately. Inuit communities tend to be self-reliant and are renowned for working together for a common goal, which is evident in their self-governance and decision-making activities. They have also endured a long history of cultural insensitivity and negative health-care experiences that span generations. The ways the Canadian health-care system interacts with Inuit populations plays an important part in this health disparity. And there is an urgent need for Inuit to be able to access and receive appropriate health care. Read the Full Open Access Article