Voluntary Self Identification for Indigenous Patients

To better serve the Indigenous population in Northwestern Ontario, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) has adopted a self-identification process to help understand the needs of patients and improve their health care experiences. Since the start of the self-identification process, the response has been positive and the number of patients choosing to self-identify is expected to continue increasing in the coming months.

The TBRHSC launched its Indigenous self-identification process on March 16, 2021. At registration, the hospital is asking all patients if they’d like to voluntarily self-identify as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit. If they answer “yes” or “no” the response will be saved in the patient’s electronic medical record and the patient will not be asked again when registering in the future. If they do not provide a response, they will be asked on their next visit.

“The hospital is committed to moving forward in the spirit of reconciliation with the Indigenous community and respect for all Canadians,” said Crystal Pirie, the senior director of Indigenous collaboration at TBRHSC. “When we better understand the health concerns and issues of our Indigenous patients, we can begin to address factors that directly impact health status, outcomes, and access. In knowing more about who our patients are, we can better respond to their needs.”

When a patient voluntarily opts to self-identify as Indigenous, members of the health care team (“circle of care”) can make referrals to Indigenous patient navigators and/or Indigenous care coordinators, who provide culturally relevant services for Indigenous patients. These services include interpretation, coordination of community resources and healing supports, advocacy on behalf of patients and family, and assistance with care planning.

Of the patients that have presented to the hospital over the last five months, 12% have self-identified as Indigenous. Pirie predicts that this number will climb as this initiative continues and patients become more aware of the services available to them. Not only does the self-identification process benefit the patients who respond, it also has positive benefits to staff from various departments and the hospital overall. The data that is collected will help to identify health trends and common needs, evaluate gaps in existing services, make adjustments to remove barriers, and support prevention and care programs.

“With this process in place, our Indigenous care coordinator and Indigenous patient navigators are able to more efficiently identify, locate, and respond to patients in the hospital,” explains Pirie. “This initiative provides us with baseline health-related data that will support public health direction and inform prevention programs, services, and practices.”

The voluntary self-identification initiative was implemented to support other initiatives for Indigenous patients. The hospital, in partnership with Indigenous organizations, anticipates having a number of Indigenous care coordinators available to support Indigenous patients during their stay at our hospital and also to plan the patients’ safe and seamless discharge to home.

Patients can voluntarily self-identify the next time they register for any services at TBRHSC or by going online at any time to tbrhsc.net/selfID. Proof of status is not required, and patients can choose not to answer if preferred.