Patient education in Greenland: Development and feasibility testing of an intervention to patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

• Main Authors: Nielsen, Maja Hykkelbjerg, Pedersen, Michael Lynge, Seibæk, Lene, Jensen, Annesofie Lunde
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Greenland; greenlandic
• Online Access: https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/patient-education-in-greenland-development-and-feasibility-testing-of-an-intervention-to-patients-with-type-2-diabetes-and-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease(f32fffab-4899-4c61-925b-d0d4c73f106f).html

This project aims to improve self-management skills and health outcomes among Greenlandic people with T2DM and COPD as well as increase quality of life and delay the emergence of comorbidities. Background: Greenland is the biggest island in the world with only 56.000 inhabitants located in 16 towns and 50 smaller settlements. No roads combine towns and settlements, so transportation takes place by flight, helicopter or boat and is often time-consuming and highly dependent on weather conditions. Some of the challenges in the Greenlandic healthcare system in general are employee turnovers, lack of decentralised trained staff in the lifestyle outpatient clinics, as well as cultural and language barriers. Greenlandic people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) might often need support from the healthcare system to manage their disease. Aim: 1) to investigate experiences of disease among Greenlandic people with T2DM or COPD, 2) to investigate and explore experiences from health care professionals and 3) to develop and test a culturally sensitive and sustainable patient education offer to inhabitants with T2DM and COPD in Greenland. Methods: Experiences and perspectives of Greenlandic people with T2DM or COPD and health care professionals are identified through individual, semi-structured, qualitative interviews using interpretive description (ID) as research methodology and analysis approach. The development and test of the intervention will follow recommendations from the MRC framework and include tools from intervention mapping (IM). Key components from the intervention will be tested in a real-life setting in a feasibility-study in one or two different towns in Greenland. Perspectives: The experiences of Greenlandic people with T2DM or COPD and health care professionals will prepare the ground for the development of the intervention. We expect that the feasibility study will give early indication of effectiveness. The effect of the intervention, will be evaluated by ...