Unlearning to Relearn: Challenging Biases for Equitable Healthcare Innovation

Where I’m Starting From

I know that people living in rural, remote and Indigenous communities are facing inequalities in accessing healthcare that is timely and culturally safe. A few of the key factors that contribute to this include systemic racism, remote geographic locations, and shortages in providers. I have also seen how innovative solutions, such as eConsults and virtual care have shown promise to bridge these gaps, but they need to be carefully implemented ensuring that they are culturally appropriate, co-created with communities, and are both scalable and sustainable.

What I Hope to Learn

My personal learning goal is to deepen my understanding of how to approach health promotion in a way that is focused on partnership and equity. I don’t want to have the perspective that we can “fix” problems, instead focusing on frameworks that can help guide respectful collaborations with Indigenous communities. Finding a perspective and supporting language for how to introduce innovative tools. My goal is to position them as part of a broader strategy that is co-created to promote equity-driven healthcare.

What Excites Me Most

I am looking forward to learning more about the Indigenous perspective as well as becoming more aware of and challenging my own biases. I would like to learn more about examples of programs that have successfully improved access in underserved communities so that I can bring those practical lessons back into my own work.

What Feels Uncertain

I do feel nervous about getting it wrong, from both a lens and language perspective. I am very aware that approaching this topic from a “saving” mindset rather than one of partnership is a crucial element to success. I know that I have blind spots, and I want to challenge myself to listen, feel, learn and be able to approach this work in ways that honour the Indigenous ways of living. My hope is that this course and research helps me move past these uncertainties by building the required knowledge and confidence to approach Indigenous health promotion with humility and respect.