Lay summary
This research aims to advance Māori health by establishing up-to-date robust evidence on successful telehealth design to drive transformative change in an equitable and dynamic way in Aotearoa New Zealand. Telehealth involves use of digital technologies, such as phone, video, text, email, mobile apps, that can deliver healthcare ‘where participants are separated by time and/or distance’. Telehealth that is well designed and supportive improves access to healthcare and advances Māori health.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, rapid successful engagement of telehealth prompted new research in Aotearoa New Zealand with Māori users that is the basis of the activation activity, a scoping review proving timely evidence. International literature provides sporadic evidence of the benefit of telehealth to Indigenous people. The review findings will provide Māori communities and health providers the opportunity to co-design strategies and projects to successfully adopt telehealth as a model of care that meets the specific needs of Māori.