Globally, the number of people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is escalating. In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are four times more likely to die from T2D or experience serious T2D-related disease than non-Indigenous Australians.
To address this disparity, researchers at Deakin Institute for Health Transformation’s Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research are developing a shared decision-making and health intervention program to improve T2D self-management among Aboriginal peoples.
Their recent Australian Health Review article describes the cultural tailoring of an established program called Guided Self-Determination (GSD), which is used overseas with numerous chronic disease cohorts. This is the world’s first adaptation of GSD with Indigenous peoples and offers a fresh and innovative perspective on the treatment of T2D.
The researchers modified the GSD reflection sheets for Aboriginal communities after gathering feedback from two Aboriginal-led co-design workshops with Aboriginal people living with T2D and healthcare practitioners, including diabetes nurse educators.
Corresponding author, Research Fellow in Aboriginal Health and proud Wiradjuri woman, Tanya Druce, said, ‘Throughout the co-design workshops, we respected, protected and maintained Indigenous knowledge, practices and innovations to ensure a culturally safe project for our participants. It wasn’t for mob or about mob but with mob, which was important.’
The GSD program adaptations included less technical language, fewer words, more pictures, more culturally appropriate language, symbols and artwork, and more visual ways to share personal stories about living with T2D.
‘We changed the language to emphasise successful diabetes management and we developed yarning worksheets to support safe reflection, two-way knowledge sharing, and patient-centred conversations,’ said Druce.
‘Our updated GSD approach will inspire greater health improvements because the person with diabetes is empowered to make decisions and self-determine the goals that are important to them. It will also shift how health practitioners provide diabetes education and care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.’
Participate in our research
The project is recruiting T2D healthcare practitioners to evaluate the modified program’s effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability. To enquire about participating, email Tanya Druce or Tim Druce.
Read the research paper titled: The process of adapting an innovative program for the self-management of type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal peoples: guided self-determination in healthcare settings
Read more about Tanya Druce’s research
Feature image: ‘Yarning’ by Aboriginal Elder and proud Barkindji woman Aunty Jean Mason depicts the journey people with T2D follow.
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