Research
Open Access
Postoperative outcomes for Indigenous Peoples in Canada: a systematic review
Jason A. McVicar, Alana Poon, Nadine R. Caron, M. Dylan Bould, Jason W. Nickerson, Nora Ahmad, Donna May Kimmaliardjuk, Chelsey Sheffield, Caitlin Champion and Daniel I. McIsaac
CMAJ May 17, 2021 193 (20) E713-E722; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.191682
Jason A. McVicar
Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (McVicar, Poon, Bould, McIsaac) and of Surgery (Kimmaliardjuk), Faculty of Medicine (Ahmad, during the conduct of the study); Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics (Nickerson), University of Ottawa; The Ottawa Hospital (McVicar, Poon, Kimmaliardjuk, McIsaac); Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Bould); Bruyère Research Institute (Nickerson), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Surgery and Northern Medical Program (Caron), University of British Columbia, Prince George, BC; Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (Caron), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (Ahmad, at time of writing), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Qikiqtani General Hospital (Sheffield), Iqaluit, NU; West Parry Sound Health Centre (Champion), Parry Sound, Ont.; Department of Surgery (Champion), Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ont.
Alana Poon
Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (McVicar, Poon, Bould, McIsaac) and of Surgery (Kimmaliardjuk), Faculty of Medicine (Ahmad, during the conduct of the study); Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics (Nickerson), University of Ottawa; The Ottawa Hospital (McVicar, Poon, Kimmaliardjuk, McIsaac); Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Bould); Bruyère Research Institute (Nickerson), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Surgery and Northern Medical Program (Caron), University of British Columbia, Prince George, BC; Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (Caron), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (Ahmad, at time of writing), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Qikiqtani General Hospital (Sheffield), Iqaluit, NU; West Parry Sound Health Centre (Champion), Parry Sound, Ont.; Department of Surgery (Champion), Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ont.
Nadine R. Caron
Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (McVicar, Poon, Bould, McIsaac) and of Surgery (Kimmaliardjuk), Faculty of Medicine (Ahmad, during the conduct of the study); Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics (Nickerson), University of Ottawa; The Ottawa Hospital (McVicar, Poon, Kimmaliardjuk, McIsaac); Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Bould); Bruyère Research Institute (Nickerson), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Surgery and Northern Medical Program (Caron), University of British Columbia, Prince George, BC; Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (Caron), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (Ahmad, at time of writing), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Qikiqtani General Hospital (Sheffield), Iqaluit, NU; West Parry Sound Health Centre (Champion), Parry Sound, Ont.; Department of Surgery (Champion), Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ont.
M. Dylan Bould
Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (McVicar, Poon, Bould, McIsaac) and of Surgery (Kimmaliardjuk), Faculty of Medicine (Ahmad, during the conduct of the study); Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics (Nickerson), University of Ottawa; The Ottawa Hospital (McVicar, Poon, Kimmaliardjuk, McIsaac); Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Bould); Bruyère Research Institute (Nickerson), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Surgery and Northern Medical Program (Caron), University of British Columbia, Prince George, BC; Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (Caron), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (Ahmad, at time of writing), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Qikiqtani General Hospital (Sheffield), Iqaluit, NU; West Parry Sound Health Centre (Champion), Parry Sound, Ont.; Department of Surgery (Champion), Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ont.
Jason W. Nickerson
Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (McVicar, Poon, Bould, McIsaac) and of Surgery (Kimmaliardjuk), Faculty of Medicine (Ahmad, during the conduct of the study); Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics (Nickerson), University of Ottawa; The Ottawa Hospital (McVicar, Poon, Kimmaliardjuk, McIsaac); Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Bould); Bruyère Research Institute (Nickerson), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Surgery and Northern Medical Program (Caron), University of British Columbia, Prince George, BC; Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (Caron), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (Ahmad, at time of writing), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Qikiqtani General Hospital (Sheffield), Iqaluit, NU; West Parry Sound Health Centre (Champion), Parry Sound, Ont.; Department of Surgery (Champion), Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ont.
Nora Ahmad
Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (McVicar, Poon, Bould, McIsaac) and of Surgery (Kimmaliardjuk), Faculty of Medicine (Ahmad, during the conduct of the study); Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics (Nickerson), University of Ottawa; The Ottawa Hospital (McVicar, Poon, Kimmaliardjuk, McIsaac); Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Bould); Bruyère Research Institute (Nickerson), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Surgery and Northern Medical Program (Caron), University of British Columbia, Prince George, BC; Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (Caron), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (Ahmad, at time of writing), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Qikiqtani General Hospital (Sheffield), Iqaluit, NU; West Parry Sound Health Centre (Champion), Parry Sound, Ont.; Department of Surgery (Champion), Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ont.
Donna May Kimmaliardjuk
Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (McVicar, Poon, Bould, McIsaac) and of Surgery (Kimmaliardjuk), Faculty of Medicine (Ahmad, during the conduct of the study); Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics (Nickerson), University of Ottawa; The Ottawa Hospital (McVicar, Poon, Kimmaliardjuk, McIsaac); Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Bould); Bruyère Research Institute (Nickerson), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Surgery and Northern Medical Program (Caron), University of British Columbia, Prince George, BC; Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (Caron), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (Ahmad, at time of writing), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Qikiqtani General Hospital (Sheffield), Iqaluit, NU; West Parry Sound Health Centre (Champion), Parry Sound, Ont.; Department of Surgery (Champion), Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ont.
Chelsey Sheffield
Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (McVicar, Poon, Bould, McIsaac) and of Surgery (Kimmaliardjuk), Faculty of Medicine (Ahmad, during the conduct of the study); Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics (Nickerson), University of Ottawa; The Ottawa Hospital (McVicar, Poon, Kimmaliardjuk, McIsaac); Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Bould); Bruyère Research Institute (Nickerson), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Surgery and Northern Medical Program (Caron), University of British Columbia, Prince George, BC; Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (Caron), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (Ahmad, at time of writing), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Qikiqtani General Hospital (Sheffield), Iqaluit, NU; West Parry Sound Health Centre (Champion), Parry Sound, Ont.; Department of Surgery (Champion), Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ont.
Caitlin Champion
Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (McVicar, Poon, Bould, McIsaac) and of Surgery (Kimmaliardjuk), Faculty of Medicine (Ahmad, during the conduct of the study); Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics (Nickerson), University of Ottawa; The Ottawa Hospital (McVicar, Poon, Kimmaliardjuk, McIsaac); Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Bould); Bruyère Research Institute (Nickerson), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Surgery and Northern Medical Program (Caron), University of British Columbia, Prince George, BC; Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (Caron), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (Ahmad, at time of writing), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Qikiqtani General Hospital (Sheffield), Iqaluit, NU; West Parry Sound Health Centre (Champion), Parry Sound, Ont.; Department of Surgery (Champion), Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ont.
Daniel I. McIsaac
Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (McVicar, Poon, Bould, McIsaac) and of Surgery (Kimmaliardjuk), Faculty of Medicine (Ahmad, during the conduct of the study); Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics (Nickerson), University of Ottawa; The Ottawa Hospital (McVicar, Poon, Kimmaliardjuk, McIsaac); Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Bould); Bruyère Research Institute (Nickerson), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Surgery and Northern Medical Program (Caron), University of British Columbia, Prince George, BC; Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (Caron), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (Ahmad, at time of writing), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Qikiqtani General Hospital (Sheffield), Iqaluit, NU; West Parry Sound Health Centre (Champion), Parry Sound, Ont.; Department of Surgery (Champion), Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ont.

Data supplements
Online appendices
- Appendix 1: Search Strategies of the Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane, and CINAHL Databases
- Appendix 2: Assessment of Exposure Status
- Appendix 3: Methods for Identification of Indigenous Status
- Appendix 4: Secondary Outcomes
- Appendix 5: Rates of Surgery and Wait-Times for Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations
Earn CPD Credits
This article is eligible for 0.5 Mainpro+ credits.
Did you read this article?
Related Articles
- McVicar, J. A., Poon, A., Caron, N. R., Bould, M. D., Nickerson, J. W., Ahmad, N., Kimmaliardjuk, D. M., Sheffield, C., Champion, C., & McIsaac, D. I. (2021). Issues postopératoires chez les Autochtones au Canada: revue systématique. CMAJ, 193(33), E1310-E1321. Accessed May 22, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.191682-f.
In this issue
Article tools
Respond to this article
Postoperative outcomes for Indigenous Peoples in Canada: a systematic review
Jason A. McVicar, Alana Poon, Nadine R. Caron, M. Dylan Bould, Jason W. Nickerson, Nora Ahmad, Donna May Kimmaliardjuk, Chelsey Sheffield, Caitlin Champion, Daniel I. McIsaac
CMAJ May 2021, 193 (20) E713-E722; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.191682
Postoperative outcomes for Indigenous Peoples in Canada: a systematic review
Jason A. McVicar, Alana Poon, Nadine R. Caron, M. Dylan Bould, Jason W. Nickerson, Nora Ahmad, Donna May Kimmaliardjuk, Chelsey Sheffield, Caitlin Champion, Daniel I. McIsaac
CMAJ May 2021, 193 (20) E713-E722; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.191682