JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Evidence is growing for the adoption and effectiveness of eHealth (including mHealth and telehealth) by First Nation peoples globally, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. eHealth is reported to address access issues to healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, by reducing costs and/or decreasing the need to travel for healthcare, thereby reducing the stress of separation from Country and Kin. While there are a host of frameworks to guide the development of eHealth and lift the rigour of implementation, evaluation and reporting, it is not known whether they accurately reflect the values and priorities of the culturally diverse populations for which they may be intended.

Objective:

The aim of this research program is to prepare a Best Practice Framework (BPF) that will guide and inform the culturally safe co-design, implementation and evaluation of eHealth interventions within existing models of health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Methods:

Research activities to develop the BPF will occur in stepped but overlapping qualitative research phases with governance from an existing multi-agency research collaboration (the Collaboration). The research protocol has been informed by key research frameworks such as the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) and ‘Developers of Health Research Reporting Guidelines’. The seven phases of research will include: Systematic literature review; Scoping review; Theme development; Theme consultation; Expert review I & II; and Dissemination.

Results:

Members of the Collaboration conceived this research program in August 2020, and a draft of the research program was produced in June 2021 with subsequent funding obtained in July 2021. The Collaboration approved the protocol in December 2021. Results for several of the research phases of the BPF development are expected by January 2023, commencing with the systematic literature review and the scoping review.

Conclusions:

The program of research outlined in this protocol has the potential to address an overdue need to shift the approach of interventions in the field of eHealth for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A BPF is needed to guide the rigorous development and evaluation of eHealth innovations to promote genuine co-design and ensure cultural safety and clinical effectiveness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.