Using Two-Eyed Seeing to Explore Interagency Collaboration

Background Health-care environments influence service delivery; approaches need to be more wholistic and culturally competent requiring effective interagency collaboration to bridge traditional Indigenous and mainstream health services. Despite considerable research on collaboration, the concept remains misunderstood, at worst, and formative, at best. Within the nexus of these two diverse health services, there is limited information on how collaborations could be created and sustained effectively. Purpose To explore the perspectives/experiences of collaboration of select Saskatchewan health professionals practicing across these diverse services to understand the concept from their perspectives. Methods This qualitative study explored collaboration through observation and interviews to elicit perspectives (two-eyed seeing) of health professionals working within the context of a traditional-mainstream health services partnership. Results Individual- and system-level factors and accountabilities are needed for successful cross-cultural collaboration and can be enabled by embedding the virtues of Indigenous and values of mainstream health services along with building and maintaining relationships, valuing difference, creating supportive environments and wholistic approaches, having the right people at the table, and making a change for impactful outcomes. Conclusion Findings support the need for implementing contextually relevant collaborative practice models for productive, wholistic health services. Two-eyed seeing provides the ability to capture and catalyze the tremendous value and strengths of both worlds, potentiating complementary aspects to meet the needs of clients and communities.