CTN 301-2: DRUM and SASH Urban-Rural Sub-Study

About The Study

The DRUM and SASH Urban-Rural sub-study is exploring the factors that impact HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention programs and services in six First Nation and Métis communities. This study is looking at how prevention and treatment programs meet the holistic and Indigenous-specific needs of these communities and ultimately aims to improve capacity and ability to implement culturally safe and grounded interventions.

About The Disease

Plenty of research has focused on health promotion in rural communities to improve access to HIV treatment and care. However, Indigenous communities face unique historical and cultural circumstances that must be addressed by HIV and other STI services. Furthermore, much of the research that has focused on Indigenous communities takes a pan-Indigenous approach, which assumes that what works for one community will work for another.

DRUM and SASH is an Indigenous community-led, strengths-based research project that is an expansion of DRUM (CTN 301) that builds upon ten years of collaboration with Indigenous communities in Alberta. The study uses a shared-care model (SCM), which is a partnership between community members and clinicians, researchers, and health providers where patients are empowered to become involved in their health and care.

At the request of the communities involved in DRUM and SASH, this study (funded by CTN 301-2) will examine the barriers and facilitators of HIV and STI prevention and treatment programs in both rural and urban Indigenous settings.

Study Approach

This study will involve a combination of qualitative research and policy analysis. The study team will engage service providers, policy makers, and community leaders and conduct individual interviews to understand the programs that currently exist, how they operate, what works, and what doesn’t. Elders, caregivers, and people with lived experience will be invited to participate in sharing circles. These sharing circles will identify the challenges and experiences of HIV/STI services, from both personal and community perspectives. This data will be used to inform the design and implementation of holistic and sustainable programs as well as identify best practices to strengthen and build capacity in existing programs for urban and rural contexts.