Wichitasowin: Indigenous Patient Navigator for Young Adults Study

NCT06443190 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: Pro00138085
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The objective of this pathway is to establish and evaluate a novel Indigenous-led patient navigator (IPN) program for Indigenous adolescents living with chronic health conditions in Maskwacis, Alberta. Over the last three years a community-based participatory research partnership was developed with Elders and community members from Maskwacis, Maskwacis Health Services, and researchers from the University of Alberta. Previous research identified the need for an IPN to support Indigenous young adults and their caregivers in managing their health conditions transitioning into adulthood and transferring from pediatric to adult healthcare. The aim of partnership now is to evaluate whether a community-derived IPN program co-designed with an established group of Maskwacis Elders, Knowledge Keepers, healthcare providers, caregivers and youth with lived experience can aid in improving the experience of transitioning into adult healthcare services for Indigenous youth and their families living in Maskwacis, Alberta.

Conditions

Chronic Diseases in Adolescence

Keywords

transition; Indigenous; community based participatory action research; health care navigator

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Qualitative Analysis - Semi-structured interviews

  Participants will complete a follow-up semi-structured interview, held either in-person or virtually, conducted by the RA to ask about their experience receiving IPN support. Feedback will be elicited on what aspects of IPN support was helpful and what could be improved upon. Healthcare providers who work at clinic sites where recruitment took place will also be asked to take part in an individual interview about how the IPN service impacted their practice and care provision to Indigenous youth and their families. All interviews will be recorded and transcribed verbatim, and NVivo software will be used for analysis. Thematic analysis will be used to extrapolate and systematically analyze patterns in the data generated by the qualitative data.

  18 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Qualitative Analysis - Talking circles

  18 months

Study Arms (1)

Indigenous Patient Navigator Support

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will work with an Indigenous Patient Navigator (IPN) for up to 18 months. The IPN may have the following roles in supporting the youth +/- their caregiver in managing their healthcare and health condition: * Spiritual: connect with community Elders, connect with cultural programs, arrange smudging and ceremony * Physical: find housing, find a family doctor, arrange transportation, fill prescriptions, create a health passport * Mental: arrange health benefits, schedule appointments, find employment, connect to community services * Emotional: connect with peers, find mental health supports, support youth at appointments, communicate with youth's healthcare team

Other: Indigenous Patient Navigator Support

Interventions

Indigenous Patient Navigator Support OTHER

See Arm Description

Indigenous Patient Navigator Support

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years - 25 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• age 16-25 years;
• having chronic health condition of at least 3 months' duration that requires adult specialty follow-up care, including physical conditions (e.g., diabetes), mental health conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression), and/or developmental disorders (e.g., autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder);
• residing in Maskwacis or from the communities of Maskwacis but currently residing elsewhere;
• self-identified as an Indigenous person;
• reading level ≥ grade 6. For participants with developmental or intellectual delay (\< grade 6 reading level), they may take part in the program alongside their caregiver(s).

You may not qualify if:

• not identifying as Indigenous
• not residing in Maskwacis

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Alberta: lead

Study Sites (1)

Stollery Children's Hospital

Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R3, Canada

RECRUITING

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 23, 2024
• First Posted: June 5, 2024
• Study Start: September 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2028
• Last Updated: October 7, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)