The results of our research will improve arthritis care in a manner that meets the needs of Indigenous communities. Indigenous peoples in Canada (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) get arthritis more often and more severely than non-Indigenous peoples. In Indigenous communities, access to medical care is often poor. We know that Indigenous communities function best when the community is involved, but we know little about arthritis management strategies that involve family members. We are partnering with several First Nations communities served by the Kwakiutl District Council, Vancouver Island to develop and evaluate a program to improve the arthritis management. Unlike other arthritis programs, this project will involve family members and will be relevant to Indigenous culture. We will:

• Develop a culturally sensitive, family-based program for Indigenous people and family members to improve arthritis self-management
• Find out how well the program works in Indigenous communities
• Improve the ability for care and research by Indigenous people for Indigenous people

What has been found?

We previously worked with several BC First Nations’ communities. We identified who had arthritis and evaluated their access to care. We found that the key barriers to adequate care included:

1. Lack of access to culturally-relevant services
2. Lack of family member involvement in health care