First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples Living in Urban Areas of Canada and Their Access to Healthcare: A Systematic Review

Abstract

In Canada, approximately 52% of First Nations, Inuit and Métis (Indigenous) peoples live in urban areas. Although urban areas have some of the best health services in the world, little is known about the barriers or facilitators Indigenous peoples face when accessing these services. This review aims to fill these gaps in knowledge. Embase, Medline and Web of Science were searched from 1 January 1981 to 30 April 2020. A total of 41 studies identified barriers or facilitators of health service access for Indigenous peoples in urban areas. Barriers included difficult communication with health professionals, medication issues, dismissal by healthcare staff, wait times, mistrust and avoidance of healthcare, racial discrimination, poverty and transportation issues. Facilitators included access to culture, traditional healing, Indigenous-led health services and cultural safety. Policies and programs that remove barriers and implement the facilitators could improve health service access for Indigenous peoples living in urban and related homelands in Canada.