According to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, systemic racism and health care disparities cause First Nations patients in Alberta to disproportionately leave emergency departments without being seen, or against medical advice.
First Nations are one of the types of indigenous people in Canada, except for the Metis and Inuit, nearly seven per cent of whose visits to emergency departments ended in them leaving without care, compared to nearly four per cent of visits by non-First Nations patients.
Participants of this study cited barriers to receiving medical care, including overhearing a racist rant at a nurses' station in an emergency department, long wait times, unavailability of transportation, and health-care professionals using medical jargon while speaking with patients.
The team found a great proportion of First Nations patients came back to the emergency department within 72 hours of leaving.