Kaitiakitanga and Health Informatics: Introducing Useful Indigenous Concepts of Governance in the Health Sector

Abstract

Indigenous contributions to governance in health informatics can be drawn from cultural concepts such as Kaitiakitanga, which implies guardianship, stewardship, governance and responsibility roles. This chapter explores Kaitiakitanga, its potential implementation in the Aotearoa (New Zealand) health sector, and its contributions to our thinking. After decades of unsuccessful attempts to positively shift the status of health for Maori, we must ask whether more control by Maori over information about Maori will make a difference. Kaitiakitanga enables us to explore Maori perspectives and insights about health and information and calls for stronger inclusion of Maori in decisions. It acts as a guideline to address ongoing and complex issues such as collective ownership, the responsible publication of data and whether benefits in health for Maori can be explicitly declared and met.