THE CENTRE FOR WISE PRACTICES IN INDIGENOUS HEALTH CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR DIGITAL HEALTH EVALUATIONS
The Center for Wise Practices in Indigenous Health (CWP-IH) has joined the Canadian Network for Digital Health Evaluation (CNDHE), which builds national capacity to evaluate federal and provincial digital health investments. A core component of the CNDHE is a newly launched knowledge translation network of academics, policy experts, patient groups, providers, learners, and industry.
Over the next two years, this initiative will build a national infrastructure to evaluate the substantial federal and provincial investments made in digital health through the development of a framework, toolkit, training sessions, research publications, and other outputs. In addition, the CDHE will create a Canadian network of researchers, decision-makers, patients, and other stakeholders to facilitate both integrated knowledge translation and mentorship to build capacity.
Within the scope of this initiative, CWP-IH is responsible for leading and promoting the meaningful engagement of First Nations, Inuit and Métis experts to ensure Indigenous experiences and perspectives are represented in a fulsome, respectful, authentic way.
Are you an Indigenous clinician, traditional practitioner, evaluation specialist, or public health leader? Are you interested in shaping DIGITAL HEALTH EVALUATION in Canada?
If so, we want to hear from you!
The CWP-IH aspires to bring together a circle of experts including Elders and knowledge keepers—as means to be guided and grounded by Indigenous epistemologies and knowledge Indigenous health service providers—clinicians, health system decision-makers, and health science researchers to create space for Indigenous worldviews, values, and beliefs within program evaluation practices.
- Participate in ground-up evaluations in your local area
- Share connections and knowledge across jurisdictions to inform your own evaluation work
- Improve understanding of implications of virtual care on health equity and familiarity with the tools to address them
For more information about how to be involved please contact Emily.Simmonds@wchospital.ca
The Centre for Wise Practice in Indigenous Health (CWP-IH) is committed to the advancement of Indigenous wellness. We are guided by two Elders and Traditional Practitioners; Kahontakwas Diane Longboat, Med., and Banakonda, Awnjibinayseekwe Kish, who are recognized in their communities as Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe ceremonial leaders, healers, and traditional practitioners. These leaders provide strategic direction for the CWP-IH team.
Over the past few decades First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples and organizations have advocated for the right to play a more decisive role in shaping the design of evaluations used to assess the impact of programs and services that are tailored for and/or include Indigenous peoples.
There has been significant movement toward the authentic engagement and meaningful partnership between non-Indigenous and Indigenous, decision-makers, knowledge workers, and service providers as evidenced by an increase in the inclusion of strengths-based, holistic indicators, and culturally responsive performance dimensions in evaluation frameworks across jurisdictions in Canada.
Despite the widespread recognition of the importance of including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) experts and organizations much work remains to be done to ensure that evaluations processes and tools reflect the sophistication of Indigenous worldviews, ways of knowing and are informed by locally defined values, such as sovereignty, reciprocity, and place.
When evaluation processes are designed and implemented without input, involvement, or governance from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, they can risk promoting false narratives about Indigenous people, misrepresenting localized needs, and failing to account for priorities established by First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations and communities.
