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Aims and objectives.  To explore Māori (Indigenous people of New Zealand) experiences of hospitalisation in surgical or medical settings and how these might influence length of stay.

Background.  Globally Indigenous peoples with histories of colonisation suffer health disparities compared with other groups. They experience higher levels of morbidity, premature mortality, lower life expectancies and differential access, use and quality of health services. In Indigenous communities’ negative anecdotal accounts of hospital experiences indicate more research is needed about their hospital experiences.

Design.  A Māori (Indigenous) centered approach using case study methodology and three data sources: medical‐surgical discharge data, interviews with Māori and a literature review.

Method.  Using statistical data from the New Zealand Health Information Service from 1989–2006, a retrospective interrupted time …