Experiences of healthcare access during the COVID-19 pandemic in remote Indigenous communities in Northwest Territories, Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare access globally through restrictions aimed at limiting virus transmission. Using a cross-sectional design, this project explored perceived barriers to and facilitators of healthcare access during the pandemic in remote Indigenous communities in Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. Convenience sampling was utilised to recruit self-identifying Indigenous adults (≥18 years) within 10 NWT communities. Information was collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire exploring experiences with, barriers to, and facilitators of healthcare access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the 287 participants (mean age 41.63 years; 66.55% women), 17.42% reported having avoided healthcare service utilisation during COVID-19 due to the risk of exposure. Of participants with a current prescription, 15.73% reported difficulty accessing prescription medications. Some partcipants (7.69%) reported difficulty accessing traditional medicines and healers. The participants reported that many services were disrupted by shortages of healthcare providers, service delays and cancellations, public health measures, and medical travel disruptions. A total of 35.89% of participants utilised virtual care, and while many found it was convenient for certain needs, some reported that it was inadequate. The findings highlight the perceived challenges to healthcare access in NWT during the pandemic. These challenges are closely tied to the healthcare context in the region, which depends heavily on medical travel and visiting specialist clinics.