Indigenous peoples in high income countries are disproportionately affected by Type 2 Diabetes. Socioeconomic disadvantages and inadequate access to appropriate healthcare are important contributors.
This systematic review, co-authored by Associate Professor Roy Rasalam (Principal Investigator at AusTrials Sunshine in Melbourne), investigates effective designs of primary care management of Type 2 Diabetes for Indigenous adults in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.
Seven studies were included in the review. Three reported statistically significant reductions in means HbA1c following their intervention. Seven components of effective interventions were identified. These were: a need to reduce health system barriers to facilitate access to primary care (which the other six components work towards), an essential role for Indigenous community consultation in intervention planning and implementation, a need for primary care programs to account for and adapt to changes with time in barriers to primary care posed by the health system and community members, the key role of community-based health workers, Indigenous empowerment to facilitate community and self-management, benefit of short-intensive programs, and benefit of group-based programs.
The findings from this review suggests policymakers should consider applying the seven identified components of effective primary care interventions when designing primary care approaches to mitigate the impact of Type 2 Diabetes in Indigenous populations.
To read more, visit: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0276396