Date of Award

December 2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Indigenous Health

First Advisor

Shawnda Schroeder

Abstract

This is a dissertation in practice which addresses Indigenous health, substance use, dronetechnology, and ethical considerations of drone use. A dissertation in practice results in three products with practical application in community. Through development of a grant application, journal manuscript, and community toolkit for ethical drone use, this dissertation addresses a broader narrative about the empowerment of Indigenous communities in Canada.

In Chapter 2, a grant application has been designed for submission to Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addiction Program. The grant explores substance use among Indigenous Peoples working in the forest sector. The grant application addresses the need for Indigenous-led research and culturally sensitive assessment tools, and focuses on people with lived experience.

In Chapter 3, the ethical implications of drone technology in health care delivery are explored through a qualitative study and journal manuscript. In the summer of 2024, eight semi-structured interviews were held with First Nation Peoples working in drone technology in Canada. Employing thematic analysis, 18 inductive codes were generated, which led to the construction of six themes: cultural sensitivity and inclusion, health care delivery and accessibility, ethical and legal considerations, education and community engagement, challenges and limitations, and future potential and recommendations.

Chapter 4 builds off the manuscript to develop an evaluation framework and toolkit to align drone innovations in health care with Indigenous values and principles. Each of the six themes is described within the tool, and metrics or criteria for evaluating and scoring potential support or tension between community and industry are outlined. Most importantly, within the tool, the criteria and metrics guide mitigating identified tensions and enhancing alignment between the project and community needs.

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