Publications by authors named "R A Oster"

Background: This study examined the experiences of Indigenous youth and young adults with pediatric onset chronic health conditions who had or were about to transition from pediatric to adult healthcare services. Transition is the process by which youth develop the knowledge and self-management skills needed to manage their health condition, ideally beginning around age 12-13 and continuing until the mid-20s. There is a growing body of literature on healthcare transition, but there is an absence of literature on Indigenous youth, who face additional barriers to accessing healthcare relative to non-Indigenous Canadians.

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Indigenous Peoples face inequities in health and healthcare access due to colonial history and systems. To work towards the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Alberta Health Services has collaborated with a Wisdom Council of engaged Elders and Indigenous community members to tailor programmes for Indigenous Peoples. The Indigenous Support Line (ISL) was created based on the Wisdom Council's advice to provide an Indigenous-specific concerns line, which later expanded into a telehealth line to address any health questions or access issues, including health system navigation and access to Western and Indigenous health and wellness supports.

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Article Synopsis
  • There is a critical need for Indigenous health care data in Canada to better inform health services for Indigenous communities.
  • Implementing a voluntary self-reported Indigenous identifier in health records faces challenges and requires strong relationships and adequate training to ensure trust and proper usage.
  • Successful implementation depends on Indigenous-led data governance and considering the historical distrust of health systems among Indigenous peoples.
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Background: The Elders Mentoring Program (EMP) is part of a strengths-based community-based participatory research partnership with the Cree communities of Maskwacîs, Alberta, Canada. The EMP objective is to promote maternal and child health through traditional Cree teachings and support from community Elders to pregnant women and their partners. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Elders decided to shift the program to an online format in early 2021.

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Article Synopsis
  • - An exploratory study in Alabama aimed to improve HIV testing rates among Black young men who have sex with men (BYMSM) by interviewing both BYMSM and outreach workers about their experiences and recommendations for better outreach efforts.
  • - Data from 56 BYMSM (average age 24) and 12 outreach workers (average age 39, mostly male and Black) revealed five key themes: promoting testing earlier, increasing visibility and outreach efforts, creating connections through shared experiences, using nonjudgmental communication, and enhancing HIV knowledge among BYMSM.
  • - The study concluded that building trust is crucial for effective HIV testing promotion among BYMSM, with recommendations to start prevention discussions at a younger age and train outreach workers in
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