Health Inequities for Māori within Primary Care Aotearoa New Zealand: Yersinia a case study

This report focuses on why Māori have the lowest rates of reported yersiniosis (a type of gastroenteritis), when previous research found that Māori had higher rates of gastroenteritis compared to non-Māori. Our hypothesis was that notified rates severely under-represent the actual yersiniosis disease burden among Māori and this was an example of health inequities for Māori in primary care. This was a small scoping study. We undertook ten interviews with a range of health professionals in the primary care sector (a mix of Māori and Non-Māori) exploring why Māori have the lowest notified rates of yersiniosis by focusing on what happens when Māori present at a general practitioner’s office with gastrointestinal symptoms. The interview data was then analysed alongside findings from a rapid narrative literature review. Findings were based on the three key interview themes: access to primary care, asking for a sample, and sample follow up. Threaded throughout these key themes were underlying themes of unconscious bias, cultural competency, cultural fit, and health literacy. Several recommendations emerged from these findings.