Impacts of Educating for Equity Workshop on Addressing Social Barriers of Type 2 Diabetes With Indigenous Patients

Abstract

Introduction: Health education about Indigenous populations in Canada (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people) is one approach to enable health services to mitigate health disparities faced by Indigenous peoples related to a history of colonization and ongoing social inequities. This evaluation of a continuing medical education workshop, to enhance family physicians' clinical approach by including social and cultural dimensions within diabetes management, was conducted to determine whether participation in the workshop improved self-reported knowledge, skills, and confidence in working with Indigenous patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The workshop, developed from rigorous national research with Indigenous patients, diabetes care physicians, and Indigenous health medical educators, was attended by 32 family physicians serving Indigenous populations on three sites in Northern Ontario. A same-day evaluation survey assessed participants' satisfaction with workshop content and delivery. Preworkshop and postworkshop surveys consisting of 5-point Likert and open-ended questions were administered 1 week before and 3 month after the workshop. Descriptive statistics and t test were performed to analyze Likert scale questions; thematic analysis was used to elicit and cluster themes from open-ended responses.

Results: Participants reported high satisfaction with all aspects of the workshop. Reporting improved understanding of socioeconomic (P = .002), psychosocial, and cultural factors (P = .001), participants also described adapting their clinical approach to more actively incorporating social and cultural factors and focusing on patient-centered care.

Discussion: The workshop was effective in shifting physician's self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and skills resulting in clinical approach modifications within social, psychosocial, and cultural domains for their Indigenous patients with diabetes.