Our team is proud to share our systematic review on interventions that support Indigenous Peoples in making health decisions. We took a unique approach to our review, and co-produced this paper to identify and learn from international interventions that support shared decision making with Indigenous Peoples. The article is available for free here For a summary of our findings and our approach, check out the infographics we created below:

In Vol. 3 of the Shared Decisions newsletter, we share exciting project updates, highlight the incredible work of Tungasuvvingat Inuit’s Ontario Inuit Cancer Program and the success of the very first Oncology Conference in Nunavut. We are happy to share our recently published systematic review and our long-awaited comics on shared decision making. The newsletter is available in English and Inuktitut (Syllabics and Roman Orthography) Download the October 2023 Newsletter:

In Vol. 2 of the Shared Decisions newsletter, we share some exciting highlights and have our very first spotlight feature of the OHSNI Interpreters Team. The newsletter is available in English and Inuktitut (Roman Orthography and Syllabics). Download the April 2022 Newsletter:

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:

[I am] afraid to approach, afraid to expose self, had a bad experience when trying to figure out health issues – [I was] not treated well. This tool is a good idea and would help up. – Perspective of Inuit Community Member who participated in Not Deciding Alone In Volume 1 of the Shared Decisions newsletter, we provide an overview of who we are, what we’ve done so far, what comes next, and how we work together on the Not Deciding Alone project. Download the April 2022 Newsletter:

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

Inuit experience the highest cancer mortality rates from lung cancer in the world with increasing rates of other cancers in addition to other significant health burdens. Inuit who live in remote areas must often travel thousands of kilometers to large urban centres in southern Canada and negotiate complex and sometimes unwelcoming health care systems. There is an urgent need to improve Inuit access to and use of health care. Our study objective was to understand the experiences of Inuit in Canada who travel from a remote to an urban setting for cancer care, and the impacts on their opportunities to participate in decisions during their journey to receive cancer care. Read the Open Access Research Publication

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