Telling the stories of “Indigenous Cancer Patient Multidisciplinary Rounds” a novel form of rounds enhancing equity in cancer care

Healthcare needs ways to address the care inequities faced by Indigenous Patients. Started in Alberta in 2020, “”Indigenous Cancer Patient Multidisciplinary Rounds”” (ICPMR) novelly bring together Indigenous Elders and Indigenous and non-Indigenous cancer, palliative and community care practitioners across multiple disciplines and sectors. Meeting by videoconferencing and grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being, they discuss the wholistic support of Indigenous patients who have cancer and are facing complex barriers to care.

In this CHPCA Learning Institute session we will:

1. Share the results of our project, “”Telling the stories of ICPMR”” that sought to understand the impacts of these rounds from the perspectives of attendees.
2. Engage healthcare providers in considering starting similar rounds in their own context. Through opening with smudging, showing 3 short videos, small group discussions and walking through a short written resource we will consider the elements needed for starting and sustaining Indigenous patient multidisciplinary rounds.

Represented as braided sweetgrass, with three strands we will describe: The Gathering (what happens in ICPMR), The Context (what ICPMR consider), and The Impacts (what happens because of ICPMR).

Nine interwoven themes within these strands are:

1. Coming together and sharing understanding,
2. How ICPMR differ from other rounds,
3. How ICPMR operate and tips for improving and spreading rounds,
4. Appreciating Indigenous Ways of Being,
5. Recognizing differences in world views,
6. Racism and systemic barriers,
7. Allyship,
8. Supporting and empowering Indigenous patients, and
9. Impact on self.

We found that the rounds support practitioners from different backgrounds and locations to collectively improve care of individual Indigenous cancer patients and address systemic barriers that can overwhelm patients and their care practitioners. This model may be useful to other patient groups facing health inequities and the health care practitioners serving them.

This session is for health and social care professionals, Elders and Knowledge Keepers who are curious about strengthening relationships and building allyship to better support patients and sustain themselves.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Reflect on how grounding practices in Rounds in Indigenous ways of knowing and being enhances cultural safety and promotes allyship.
• Apply the resources provided in the session towards starting or joining Indigenous Patient Multidisciplinary Rounds in their local context.
• Identify and address barriers and facilitators to hosting Indigenous Patient Multidisciplinary Rounds.

Telling the stories of “Indigenous Cancer Patient Multidisciplinary Rounds” a novel form of rounds enhancing equity in cancer care
Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30am -3:00pm (Eastern)

Ms. Arrowlena Big Smoke, BN, RN

I am a member of the Blackfoot Confederacy and proudly registered with the Piikani Nation in Southern Alberta. I am currently a second-year clinical clerk in the Doctor of Medicine program at the University of Calgary and have over 10 years of nursing experience.

Prior to medical school, I worked as an Indigenous Cancer Patient Navigator with the Alberta Cancer Foundation, where I developed and implemented the Indigenous Cancer Navigation Program for Southern Alberta.

My work focused on advocating for Indigenous patients and their families, strengthening partnerships with Indigenous communities across Treaty 7 territory, and supporting Indigenous patients throughout their cancer journeys.

Professor Jessica Simon, MB ChB

I am a palliative care physician, researcher and Division Head for Palliative Medicine in the Department of Oncology, University of Calgary. My experience includes implementation science and research co-design, including co-leading a research program integrating “early” palliative care with cancer care (www.pacesproject.ca).

As a settler to Canada, living in Treaty 7 territory for 25 years, I was humbled when Arrow approached me to collaborate on this project  about the Indigenous Cancer Patient Multidisciplinary Rounds that had she developed and was grateful for this opportunity to take an action towards Truth and Reconciliation together.