AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH i FOREWORDWe are delighted to showcase a unique process for reaching out to, engaging, and disseminating research conducted among Alaska Native people. The Southcentral Foundation, notably its Research Department, led by Dr. Denise Dillard and her colleagues -the authors of this special issue − is widely respected for its deep commitment to pursuing research relevant to its customer/owners. Indeed, simply referring to their patient population in this fashion underscores the alignment of their mission, values, and actions. Frankly, I know of no other entity, tribal or otherwise, so fully dedicated in principal as well as practice to ensuring that its research is driven by stakeholders, that the results are translated into terms meaningful to them, that the findings reflect their perspectives, that the attendant insights are applied with local benefit, and that this work is undertaken in a scientifically rigorous manner that contributes to our understanding of the health and well-being of this special population. The articles herein testify to the effort required of such work and the potential return on investment for all participants.Unfortunately, much of today's conversation about outreach to, engagement of, and dissemination among Native communities proceeds at a level of abstraction that offers little guidance about actual process. Not so here. The authors describe in detail the nature of their research, steps taken to communicate findings to key stakeholders, the latter's reactions, and implications for this process. Their candid discussion of the challenges that arose during this endeavor represents a refreshingly authentic analysis of a difficult subject, the mechanics of which are often glossed over in the rush to exhort others to engage tribal communities. Of particular value is the authors' reflection on how the communication strategies available to them through the Southcentral Foundation can be mobilized to maintain the momentum of their initial efforts and to reinforce the reciprocity as well as transparency that characterized this undertaking. The lessons learned, and shared in the pages to follow, are important ones. Thank you for stretching yourselves beyond the typical role of researcher-as-scientist to illustrate these lessons and the wisdom contained therein. Beyond this introduction, the special issue consists of three sections. Section I describes the background information shared with Forum attendees, the structure and content of the Forum itself, and the methods used to gather community feedback. Section II depicts three SCF research studies that disseminated results differently, along with community feedback about clarity of results, sufficiency of information, and the degree to which information was presented in an interesting way. The three research studies concern dissemination of results from a T-SBIRT (i.e., trauma-focused screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment) process, a stakeholder-driven decision support to...
AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH i FOREWORDWe are delighted to showcase a unique process for reaching out to, engaging, and disseminating research conducted among Alaska Native people. The Southcentral Foundation, notably its Research Department, led by Dr. Denise Dillard and her colleagues -the authors of this special issue − is widely respected for its deep commitment to pursuing research relevant to its customer/owners. Indeed, simply referring to their patient population in this fashion underscores the alignment of their mission, values, and actions. Frankly, I know of no other entity, tribal or otherwise, so fully dedicated in principal as well as practice to ensuring that its research is driven by stakeholders, that the results are translated into terms meaningful to them, that the findings reflect their perspectives, that the attendant insights are applied with local benefit, and that this work is undertaken in a scientifically rigorous manner that contributes to our understanding of the health and well-being of this special population. The articles herein testify to the effort required of such work and the potential return on investment for all participants.Unfortunately, much of today's conversation about outreach to, engagement of, and dissemination among Native communities proceeds at a level of abstraction that offers little guidance about actual process. Not so here. The authors describe in detail the nature of their research, steps taken to communicate findings to key stakeholders, the latter's reactions, and implications for this process. Their candid discussion of the challenges that arose during this endeavor represents a refreshingly authentic analysis of a difficult subject, the mechanics of which are often glossed over in the rush to exhort others to engage tribal communities. Of particular value is the authors' reflection on how the communication strategies available to them through the Southcentral Foundation can be mobilized to maintain the momentum of their initial efforts and to reinforce the reciprocity as well as transparency that characterized this undertaking. The lessons learned, and shared in the pages to follow, are important ones. Thank you for stretching yourselves beyond the typical role of researcher-as-scientist to illustrate these lessons and the wisdom contained therein. Beyond this introduction, the special issue consists of three sections. Section I describes the background information shared with Forum attendees, the structure and content of the Forum itself, and the methods used to gather community feedback. Section II depicts three SCF research studies that disseminated results differently, along with community feedback about clarity of results, sufficiency of information, and the degree to which information was presented in an interesting way. The three research studies concern dissemination of results from a T-SBIRT (i.e., trauma-focused screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment) process, a stakeholder-driven decision support to...
Increased attention to diagnostic accuracy in depression screening and management within primary care has demonstrated inadequate care when patients prematurely discontinue recommended treatments such as medication and counseling. Decision-support tools can enhance the medical decision-making process. In 2010, the Southcentral Foundation (SCF) Research Department developed a stakeholder-driven decision support tool to aid in depression management. This paper describes feedback from attendees at SCF’s 2016 Alaska Native Health Research Forum (Forum) regarding a dissemination product highlighting the aforementioned study. Forum attendees participated in a small group discussion and responded to a brief survey using the audience response system. Thematic analysis was conducted on data from the small group discussion. Overall, Forum attendees responded favorably to the dissemination product. Most agreed the presentation was clear, the amount of information presented was appropriate, and that results were presented in an interesting way. Small group discussion participants provided constructive feedback about why depression-related research results should be shared; how they believed results should be best shared; who results should be shared with; when and where results should be shared; and what level of research results should be shared. The stigma associated with depression treatment may be assuaged if results are shared in a way that normalizes support for depression treatment. Community member involvement in disseminating results has potential to make information more acceptable and meaningful.
Southcentral Foundation, a tribal health organization serving Alaska Native and American Indian (AN/AI) people in southcentral Alaska, convened the Alaska Native Health Research Forum (Forum) for AN/AI people in May 2016. The purpose of the Forum was to obtain AN/AI community member feedback about sharing health research results. This article describes the funding mechanism that provided resources for the Forum and other factors that were considered when designing the Forum. This is followed by a description of how attendees were invited, the audience response system, and process used to collect quantitative data on participants and qualitative feedback from small group discussions with Forum attendees. Finally, we describe the quantitative and qualitative data analysis processes used to evaluate responses.
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