Lay summary
Māori disparities in health outcomes and healthcare service delivery are well documented, however, there has been a limited focus on the contribution of Emergency Department (ED) care to inequities within a New Zealand (NZ) context. Internationally, ED care has been associated with ethnic inequities in mortality, wait times, leaving ED before being seen and differential pain management. This research investigates whether ethnic inequities within EDs in NZ exist. If ethnic differences are found, this research will examine the potential explanations for these differences and whether the ED disparities are likely to contribute to Māori: non-Māori differences in clinical outcomes. A quantitative study guided by a Kaupapa Māori Research framework will involve secondary data analysis of the existing Shorter Stays in Emergency Department (SSED) dataset inclusive of additional NZ Health Information Service data. The SSED dataset represents 18/20 District Health Boards in NZ and includes ≈5.7 million ED visits between 2006-2012.