Are we walking the talk of participatory Indigenous health research? A scoping review of the literature in Atlantic Canada.

INTRODUCTION: Participatory research involving community engagement is considered the gold standard in Indigenous health research. However, it is sometimes unclear whether and how Indigenous communities are engaged in research that impacts them, and whether and how engagement is reported. Indigenous health research varies in its degree of community engagement from minimal involvement to being community-directed and led. Research led and directed by Indigenous communities can support reconciliation and reclamation in Canada and globally, however clearer reporting and understandings of community-led research is needed. This scoping review assesses (a) how and to what extent researchers are reporting community engagement in Indigenous health research in Atlantic Canada, and (b) what recommendations exist in the literature regarding participatory and community-led research. METHODS: Eleven databases were searched using keywords for Indigeneity, geographic regions, health, and Indigenous communities in Atlantic Canada between 2001-June 2020. Records were independently screened by two reviewers and were included if they were: peer-reviewed; written in English; health-related; and focused on Atlantic Canada. Data were extracted using a piloted data charting form, and a descriptive and thematic analysis was performed. 211 articles were retained for inclusion. RESULTS: Few empirical articles reported community engagement in all aspects of the research process. Most described incorporating community engagement at the project's onset and/or during data collection; only a few articles explicitly identified as entirely community-directed or led. Results revealed a gap in reported capacity-building for both Indigenous communities and researchers, necessary for holistic community engagement. Also revealed was the need for funding bodies, ethics boards, and peer review processes to better facilitate participatory and community-led Indigenous health research. CONCLUSION: As Indigenous communities continue reclaiming sovereignty over identities and territories, participatory research must involve substantive, agreed-upon involvement of Indigenous communities, with community-directed and led research as the ultimate goal.

The delivery of palliative and end-of-life care to adolescents and young adults living with cancer: a scoping review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: This review will provide an overview of the evidence on the delivery of palliative and end-of-life care to adolescents and young adults living with cancer, by identifying knowledge gaps and discussing the key characteristics and types of evidence in this field. INTRODUCTION: Adolescents and young adults receive their diagnoses at an important stage of development, and often access health systems that are ill-equipped to deal with them, leading to many unmet needs. Some of these needs can be addressed by holistic palliative care services. A better understanding of the literature in this area is needed to identify what is known about the delivery of care to adolescents and young adults. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review will consider studies that pertain to the delivery of palliative and end-of-life care for adolescents and young adults living with cancer. Relevant research may be in the context of ambulatory services, advance care planning, palliative care units, home care, hospices, and end-of-lifecare facilities. Studies that concern other oncology populations will be excluded. METHODS: CINAHL (EBSCO), MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Elsevier), APA PsycINFO (EBSCO), and Web of Science (Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index; Clarivate Analytics) databases will be searched, along with other sources of gray literature. No date limit will be set. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts for studies that meet the review's inclusion criteria and the fulltext of eligible studies will be reviewed. Data from studies that are eligible for inclusion will be extracted using two independent reviewers and presented in a tabular form with an accompanying narrative summary.

Characteristics of Indigenous healing strategies in Canada: a scoping review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to identify the characteristics of Indigenous healing strategies in Canada and approaches to improving cultural relevance to local Indigenous contexts. INTRODUCTION: In the previous 150 years, Indigenous peoples of Canada have experienced colonization, forced assimilation, cultural oppression and violence, and these are associated with high rates of social distress and health disparities. Today, legacies of colonization continue to marginalize Indigenous peoples, creating healthcare institutions devoid of Indigenous worldviews. Despite the growing number of Indigenous healing strategies currently in existence, literature describing these strategies has not been systematically scoped. To address this gap, this scoping review will identify characteristics of Indigenous healing strategies in Canada, and explore culturally relevant approaches used in research process. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review will consider literature that describes Indigenous healing strategies in Canada and will include First Nations, Inuit and Métis as the population of interest. Strategies may include, but are not limited to, health services and programs, policies and guidelines, models and frameworks, and Indigenous narratives and expert opinions. Healing strategies delivered in all service settings are eligible for inclusion. METHODS: The databases/sources to be searched will include: CINAHL, Sociological Abstracts, PsycINFO, MEDLINE and Academic Search Premier. Searches for gray literature will be conducted in iPortal, Canadian Electronic Library, and a list of Canadian government and Indigenous organization websites. Retrieval of full-text studies and data extraction will be performed independently by two reviewers. Findings will be summarized in tabular forms accompanied by narrative text.