An interview project with native American people: a community-based study to identify actionable steps to reduce health disparities.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to work with tribal communities to define and develop their own healthcare services and strategies for positive change regarding injection drug use, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The secondary objective of this study was to incorporate community capacity building strategies to develop and sustain programming and resources to optimize tribal communities' responsiveness to reduce health disparities.

STUDY DESIGN: Semi-structured qualitative interviews.

METHODS: Interviews were guided by community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles to create programs, projects, and policy recommendations meaningful to American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people.

RESULTS: The study generated a formative understanding of the context of AI/AN people who inject drugs (PWID) in three distinct AI/AN communities as well as developed local capacity for future programming, projects, and policy.

CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms CBPR methods should be part of an iterative cycle to inform policy and programs. CBPR has helped strengthen local research capacity and has formed ongoing relationships between study investigators, local liaisons, and the community that will be essential for next phases of program design and policy implementation. This cycle of CBPR could be replicated in other tribal communities to bring awareness of the opioid epidemic and its effects and to prioritize local indigenous and community-led responses.