Scoping review protocol of E-Health interventions targeting Indigenous populations

Electronic health (E-Health) technologies present a valuable opportunity to enhance healthcare access and outcomes for Indigenous populations by addressing persistent, often structurally determined, health disparities. Despite increasing recognition of the potential of E-Health interventions, there remains a lack of comprehensive synthesis of their modalities, cultural appropriateness and implementation within Indigenous communities globally. This scoping review will aim to systematically map the landscape of E-Health interventions for Indigenous populations, identifying effective strategies and gaps in current research and practice. By documenting global evidence, this review will contribute to broader efforts to integrate Indigenous health considerations into policy and practice, supporting health equity and realising the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

This scoping review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. A comprehensive search of multiple databases will be conducted to identify studies on E-Health interventions in Indigenous communities between 2013 and 2025. The review will focus on interventions targeting Indigenous populations published in English. A two-stage screening process, comprising abstract/title screening followed by full-text screening, will be independently conducted by two reviewers. A standardised data extraction template will be used, and qualitative data will be synthesised using narrative synthesis and thematic analysis. Quantitative data will be presented descriptively using graphs, diagrams or tables.

As the study relied on publicly available research, institutional review board approval is not required. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.