Overview of M2M

A retrospective observational study using data from national collections between 2015 - 2023

M2M aim:

To explore changes in access to healthcare, quality of healthcare and health outcomes for Māori and non-Māori during the COVID-19 outbreak period across Aotearoa New Zealand.

M2M Hypotheses:

Inequities in health between Māori and non-Māori will be identified in the ‘pre’ COVID-19 period (2015- 2019). This reflects the significant evidence to date of Māori health inequities in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Inequities in non-COVID-19 related health and healthcare will increase between the ‘pre’ and ‘through’ COVID-19 periods across Aotearoa New Zealand (without the vaccine (2020) and with the vaccine 2021 onwards).
Variations in pandemic impacts and management regionally may result in variations in the changes observed between the ‘pre’ and ‘through’ periods for Māori:non-Māori health inequities.

M2M Research Objectives:

M2M specifically explores the following research questions

Did Māori receive care (i.e., healthcare access)?
If they did receive care, what was the standard of that care and was it appropriate (i.e., health quality)?
What impact did changes to access and quality of care during the COVID-19 period have on health (i.e., outcomes) between Māori and non-Māori?

M2M Kaupapa Māori Research (KMR) positioning

The M2M project is undertaken with a Kaupapa Māori Research (KMR) positioning.

KMR places Māori at the centre of enquiry in order to make a positive difference to Māori communities. The M2M project reflects KMR through a range of practices:

Māori-led research expertise that maintains Māori control of the research process.
Investigation of Māori areas of health with potential to transform Māori health gain.
Māori:non-Māori comparison consistent with the Indigenous rights of Māori.
Maximisation of statistical power to quantitatively examine Māori:non-Māori inequities.
A conceptual framework that incorporates a structural determinants approach to critique issues of power, racism and privilege.

Conceptual framework

The diagram below illustrates the basic conceptual framework for M2M that highlights existing health and other inequities, and outlines the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notes: BAU = Business As Usual. M=Māori. nM=non-Māori.

Ethical approval

Ethical approval was obtained from the Auckland Health Research Ethics Committee (AH26253).