January 2025 Pick of the Month
Beyond Watching "Yellowstone"
This month's Pick-of-the-Month (POTM) focuses on an area of research that may not be immediately familiar to many readers. In Interventions to improve equity in emergency departments for Indigenous people: A scoping review, MacLean et al. searched the literature for interventions designed to improve the care of ED patients from Indigenous groups. These include individuals with origins in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in Canada; American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Pacific Islanders in the United States; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (ATSI) in Australia; and Māori in New Zealand. A search of PubMed or an AI-driven search engine (e.g., OpenEvidence) reveals no similar review, suggesting the novelty of this work.
While the importance of improving equity in these marginalized populations may be obvious to many readers, its recognition among the lay public may be currently elevated by the popular “Yellowstone” television drama and its portrayal of the treatment of Native Americans. MacLean and colleagues offer valuable insights, starting with the idea of the interventions—many of which are designed to increase cultural competence. Unfortunately, this manuscript also underscores shortcomings in terms of the small number of interventions discovered through a rigorous search, as well as the design of some studies. For example, the authors point out that just over half (n = 4) of the included interventions clearly engaged local Indigenous stakeholders, such as Indigenous researchers, community organizations, community members, and leaders.
This work warrants the POTM position for its novelty, teaching potential, and for its potential to raise awareness.
Jeffrey A. Kline, MD
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Editor-in-Chief
Source: Mehrnoosh Samaei, MD, Emory University School of Medicine | AEM Resident Editor-in-Training and Kirsty Challen, BSc, MBChB, MRes, PhD, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals | AEM Editor of Infographics