Search Results

Catherine Carry

"Qanuqtuurniq - Finding the Balance" TV Series - Episode 1 - "How are we as men?"

Inuit men have experienced many changes to their way of life in just two generations. This has sometimes left Inuit men feeling lost and unsure of their place in the family and community. Their level of distress can be seen in the low school completion rates and high levels of incarceration and suicide. Men need a voice.

Programs and services for men – many created and led by men – are giving them an opportunity to seek help, better understand their needs and strengths, and revive their traditions and culture. “Angutiilli qanuiliqpat? – How are we as men?,” is the first of a three-part live, public TV series, “Qanuqtuurniq – Finding the Balance,” on Inuit health and wellness issues and solutions. In this episode (now an on-line video product) viewers will see live discussions, information from the International Polar Year's Inuit Health Survey, and stories of community programs that are helping Inuit men to improve their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Led by Inuit Tuttarvingat of the National Aboriginal Health Organization in Canada, it was broadcast in May 2009 on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network – North and in Alaska on 360North. The series was a communications and outreach project for International Polar Year aired in the Inuit language (with English captions/sub-titles) and simultaneously webcast. The goal of each episode was to engage the Inuit public (the primary audience), and others in ‘real time’ dialogue about health and wellness issues and health research, and to deliver key messages.

Karen Love

A Manual for Community Based Participatory Research: Using Research to Improve Practice and Inform Policy in Assisted Living

The Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL) and researchers at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) partnered to create a first-of-its-kind instructional manual designed to promote and guide the use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) in aging and long-term care research. This manual was informed by a two-year research grant funded by the U.S. Agency for Health Care Research and Quality that was aimed at better understanding medication management practices in long-term care. The research project employed CBPR methodology to involve the many and varied constituencies essential in designing, conducting, disseminating, and translating long-term care research. Throughout the project, the CBPR team – comprised of long-term care researchers, consumers, advocacy groups, policy-makers, practitioners, and corporate representatives – worked together to identify and create effective and efficient CBPR structures and processes. This manual details the CBPR principles and processes, and also offers specific examples of, and recommendations for, practically implementing CBPR in the field of long-term care. The manual provides examples from the medication management research project throughout, in an easily understandable format.

This manual was designed to be used by all researchers and community members, but is especially aimed towards stakeholders in the long-term care community.

Heidi Lauckner

Age-Friendly Mahone Bay Project Final Report

This community-based consultative process aimed to gather the perspectives of older adults in a rural Canadian town on what constitutes an age-friendly community in order to identify key priorities for community action. In age-friendly communities, the policies, services, settings and structures related to the physical and social environment are designed to help seniors "age actively;" that is, to be safe, healthy, and involved (1). Based on guidelines developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada (2), a community steering committee, which included local researchers, directed this action research process. Focus groups with older citizens were conducted, along with individual and key informant interviews (n=50). Two key features of this community were identified as promoting its age friendliness: 1) being a small town and 2) diverse opportunities for participation. The key barriers were: 1) inaccessibility of housing, public spaces, transportation, 2) limited health services and businesses, and 3) challenges sharing information about community events, particularly for people who did not use the internet. The Age-Friendly Mahone Bay Report summarize the consultative process and findings. This report is intended as a resource for other communities and community-based researchers embarking on a similar age-friendly community consultation process by describing the community partners involved, consultation steps followed, the data collection tools used and the key findings.

Paul Lachapelle

Apsaalooke Upsauloouk Bucha Unnaylayda - Crow Men's Health

Apsaalooke Upsauloouk Bucha Unnaylayda - Crow Men's Health, is an educational film that presents narratives by Crow men directed toward raising awareness of men’s health and preventative treatment options and increasing the participation of adult Native American men in preventative health screenings. Whether they talk about it or not, health is a very important part of all Crow men’s lives. A modern lifestyle of fast-food, sedentary lifestyles, and a general lack of interest in traditional cultural knowledge and practice have jeopardized the overall health of Native American men. In this video, Crow men discuss their feelings about the barriers to health, wellness and health prevention, and the Crow Men’s Health Ride. Footage of the 2008 ride to the Four Dances Vision Site acknowledging the importance of health and recognizing the young Crow men who sacrificed their lives in the eighteenth century by riding their horses over a cliff in order to save the Tribe from smallpox is included. This film is intended to be used as a resource for Crow men and all Native American men for education and inspiration about men’s health. The target audience is Crow men, all enrolled Crow members, Native American men across Montana and the United States, and health professionals involved in Native American health issues.

Howard Taras

Basic research concepts explained in short video clips

This series of short animated videos explains a number of key research concepts in ways that are quick, interesting, and accessible to the general public. Videos use animation and photos to simplify and enhance the content and are intended to promote understanding of and engagement in the scientific research process. They are designed for individuals who are contemplating participation in a clinical research study, especially those who need to build the research literacy necessary to give informed consent. The concepts explained in these videos establish a foundation that can be built upon to explain more complex procedures in a specific research study. Videos are appropriate for individuals who are interested in research but are unfamiliar with core concepts and are available in both English and Spanish language versions.

There are five topics in the series:
“What is a Control Group?” Length: 2 min 7 sec
“What is Random Assignment?” Length: 3 min 1 sec
“Who can participate in research?” Length 1 min 52 sec
“How is research made safe?” Length 2 min 35 sec
“ResearchMatch: Be informed about Studies” Length 2 min 45 sec

These videos were developed to augment existing resources in other media. Written information to explain these concepts is located on the NIH web site “NIH Clinical Research Trials and You.” Researchers and educators are encouraged to make use of existing materials and to include information regarding local resources. Information about how to register for ResearchMatch is available on the ResearchMatch.org web site.

Dr. Dodi Meyer

Bridging the Communication Gap between Providers and Patients by Addressing Health Literacy in an Urban Immigrant Community

This product is a health literacy toolkit that focuses on medication management in order to reduce medication errors in an immigrant pediatric urban community. The toolkit consists of a curriculum aimed at empowering patients to understand medication management, and a volunteer handbook that guides volunteer-health-educators, CHWs (Community Health Workers) and medical providers in the use of this curriculum. The curriculum is aimed at caregivers of pediatric patients, ages 1-18 years old. It can be implemented in different venues such as waiting rooms of pediatric practices, head starts or during home visits.
The curriculum consists of seven bilingual educational units with the majority using pictorials with content written at a fifth grade reading level. The first component helps caregivers prepare for a doctor’s visit. The second one focuses on upper respiratory infections, which aims at distinguishing between the cold and flu, and how to treat and prevent such viruses. The third unit helps caregivers understand the proper use of antibiotics and how to avoid antibiotic resistance. The fourth unit informs patients how to apply the instructions found on prescribed medication labels. The fifth unit is centered on over-the-counter (OTC) medication, highlighting their appropriate usage for specific age ranges. The sixth unit focuses on medication management by teaching the various dosing forms, intervals, and measurements tools used to administer medication. The seventh unit covers home remedies, which encourages caregivers to disclose the use of home remedies in order to avoid known side effects and contraindications.
The volunteer handbook focuses on using effective conversational skills, while identifying signs of illiteracy among patients, and tactfully approaching patients regarding each topic addressed in the curriculum.

Linda Highfield

Camp Boot: Community Engaged Research Training Curriculum for Lay Researchers

Camp Boot is designed to teach community residents the principles of community based participatory research. The purpose is to prepare community residents as lay researchers with the capacity to partner with academic and/or community-based researchers to co-design and co-implement health-related studies. The title, Camp Boot, is intentional. “Boot Camp” is usually based on a command and control, top down philosophy. Camp Boot intends to reverse that philosophy in its teaching approach, drawing on practices of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA), Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and similar approaches (1-3). Adapted from the Partners in Research: Community and Faculty Training Curricula to Prepare Partners for Community-based Participatory Research Collaborations (4), Camp Boot includes more quantitative information. Camp Boot was developed and piloted in collaboration with a group of 40 African American and Hispanic residents representing medically underserved areas in Houston and Galveston neighborhoods (approximately 50% from each area). Participants were recruited by the advisory board (see question 7). Participants were paid a stipend of $600 for completing the 5 day, 40 hour training. Though our focus for the pilot project was with underserved populations, the curriculum is appropriate for a general audience of community residents interested in learning more about the basics of research, including non-geographically based communities and who have a desire to partner with academic researchers on CBPR projects. While the pilot implementation focused on training community residents, the curriculum could also be used for training and preparing community based organizations to integrate a research component into their programming.

Debby Walser-Kuntz

Celiac and Me

Students enrolled in an Immunology course collaborated with their partners in the Celiac Disease (CD) community to build “Celiac and Me”, a website which aims to engage, educate, explore, and empower. Community partners identified the need for CD-related materials as education empowers those living with CD to advocate for themselves. As part of the course, students developed scientifically accurate materials for the site, including a model of the small intestine, a picture book, and a movie with an associated PowerPoint presentation. These age-appropriate resources engage and educate CD patients, family members, friends, and health educators. The gut model encourages the exploration of the function of the small intestine and introduces the immune response that occurs when individuals with CD eat gluten. Similarly, picture books facilitate dialogue within families by creating a shared reading experience and empower children by providing coping mechanisms and letting them know they are not alone. Because many people do not understand the science behind the requirement for a strict gluten-free diet, kids with CD must often self-advocate when not at home. The PowerPoint template and its linked movie, both developed in consultation with kids living with CD, encourage such self-advocacy. This community-based academic civic engagement (ACE) project allowed students to explore both a public health issue with close ties to the immune system and strategies to translate scientific knowledge for a non-scientist audience.

Howard Taras

Clinical Research: Seniors Making a Difference

Compared to most other age groups, older adults are more affected by most illnesses. Yet, they are less likely to participate in clinical research to address those health conditions. Many senior adults do not adequately understand the research process and have questions about what is involved. This video was created to provide information from seniors with first-hand experiences in clinical research studies. Research volunteers share their reasons for choosing to participate in research studies. Medical researchers also talk about translational health research and how it works. People over 55 years of age or who are retired have many reasons for joining research studies. Some get involved to stay socially active and connected, others because they want to learn something new, and some because they want to potentially help their families and future generations. This video is intended to encourage older adults to get involved with research and make informed decisions about their own health.

The intended audience of this video is people who are over 55 years of age and have questions about research participation.

Fay Fletcher, PhD

Community Based Participatory Research with Indigenous People

Role models and leaders in Indigenous health research in Canada and the United States share their stories of work with First Nations and American Indian colleagues in community based research. Acknowledging the impact of history and resiliency while capturing the passion of emerging leaders in Indigenous health research, the videos provide a starting point for discussion on the roles and responsibilities of community and university partners in collaborative and community-based research. “The Partnership” video explores how Aboriginal communities are working with health researchers for the community’s benefit. Told through the eyes of Tlicho community-based researchers, “The Partnership” demonstrates that no matter what the issue, solutions always lie within the community. From the rural campus of the Northwest Indian College in Bellingham, Washington to the hustle of the University of Washington in Seattle, “Bridging Worlds” takes a look at the varying roles of American Indian post-secondary students. Reflecting on their own life journeys, three students discuss how their desire to participate in making decisions that affect their communities has inspired them to engage in community-based research. Dr. Rose James discusses the potential change generated by CBPR in the interface between community partners and leaders and members of post secondary institutions.