Chronic Illness Self-management Research Articles

Use of a virtual environment to promote self-management and lifestyle changes in persons with bipolar disorder

PurposeSelf-management and lifestyle interventions are a key factor in treatment outcomes for persons with bipolar disorder (BD). A virtual environment (VE), due to it's ability to provide flexibility of involvement in its platform, may be an alternative to face-to-face treatment to provide support for self-management. The purpose of this study is to explore how a VE, developed for chronic illness self-management, may be modified to promote self-management and lifestyle changes in those with BD. MethodThis study used a qualitative description design with focus groups. Data were collected via minimally structured interviews and analyzed using thematic content analysis. A total of seven focus groups were conducted, and the sample consisted of 30 adults with BD. Age range was 21–77 years with 21 females, seven males, and two non-binary individuals. ResultsFive themes emerged from the findings: Self-management and lifestyle interventions with regards to (1) mental health; (2) holistic health; (3) role of peers; (4) involvement of the family; (5) technological aspects of the VE. ConclusionsFocus group participants suggested that the VE may be an efficacious way to enhance self-management and promote lifestyle interventions in those with BD. Research is needed to adapt such platforms to the need of the patients and examine its' effect on health outcomes.

Mixed-Methods Study of Disability Self-Management in Mexican Americans With Osteoarthritis.

Health disparities in osteoarthritis (OA) outcomes exist both in the occurrence and treatment of functional limitation and disability for Mexican Americans. Although the effect of self-management of chronic illness is well established, studies demonstrate little attention to self-management of function or disability, despite the strong potential effect on both and, consequently, on patients' lives. The purpose of this study pilot was to develop and test key variable relationships for a measure of disability self-management among Mexican Americans. In this sequential, two-phased, mixed-methods, biobehavioral pilot study of Mexican American women and men with OA, a culturally tailored measure of disability self-management was created, and initial relationships among key variables were explored. First, a qualitative study of 19 adults of Mexican American descent born in Texas (United States) or Mexico was conducted. The Mexican American Disability Self-Management Scale was created using a descriptive content analysis of interview data. The scale was tested and refined, resulting in 18 items and a descriptive frequency of therapeutic management efforts. Second, correlations between study variables were estimated: Disability and function were negatively correlated. Disability correlated positively with social support and activity effort. Disability correlated negatively with disability self-management, pain, and C-reactive protein. Function was positively correlated with age, pain, and depression. Liver enzymes (alanine transaminase) correlated positively with pain and anxiety. This mixed-methods study indicates directions for further testing and interventions for disability outcomes among Mexican Americans.

Prioritizing chronic pain self-management amid coexisting chronic illnesses: An exploratory qualitative study

BackgroundIn Canada, one out of five people lives with chronic pain, a condition frequently co-occurring with other chronic illnesses. As with most chronic illnesses, successful engagement in symptom management is key. In the context of multiple illnesses, self-management involves daily prioritization of symptoms and conditions and decision-making, which can be challenging. Self-management of chronic illnesses can require more complex competence and tasks to address the different implications of each condition. ObjectiveOur research objective was to explore types and processes of self-management symptom prioritization among adults living with chronic pain and other chronic illnesses. DesignThis research was carried out as part of a larger study that adopted an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. This study focused more specifically on the qualitative part of the study. Setting(s)Participants recruited for the qualitative component took part in a semi-structured individual interview online or in-person at the center hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal. ParticipantsIn total, 25 participants were interviewed, including 18 women and 7 men. MethodsTo participate in the qualitative part of the study, participants were selected from the larger study and were eligible if they were 18 years old or older and experiencing pain for more than 3 months and had at least one other chronic illness for which they were receiving treatment or engaged in symptom management. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in-person or virtually and were transcribed verbatim. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to explore patients’ narratives, and an open and iterative approach was adopted to code interviews and generate themes. FindingsThe first theme, focus on symptom prioritization, showed different prioritization processes, including prioritizing a dominant illness, prioritizing multiple illnesses to avoid undesirable consequences, and finally absence of or automatic processes of prioritization. In the second theme, we identified several characteristics of an illness, in this case chronic pain that made it a self-management priority: uncontrollable and disabling nature, omnipresence, unpredictability, unpleasantness, and invisibility to others. In the last theme, we highlighted that some psychosocial factors influenced levels of engagement in self-management and prioritization processes, including social support and the patient-physician relationship. ConclusionsChronic pain was the medical condition most often prioritized by participants in their self-management tasks. Because of its characteristics, it was the medical condition that had the most negative impact on day-to-day functioning.

Developing and Implementing a Culturally Consonant Treatment Fidelity Support Plan with the Apsáalooke Nation.

Treatment fidelity remains underreported in health intervention research, particularly among Indigenous communities. One explanation for this gap is the lack of culturally consonant strategies listed in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Behavior Change Consortium (BCC) treatment fidelity framework, the gold standard for understanding and measuring fidelity. This paper focuses on the development and implementation of a culturally consonant treatment fidelity support plan across two of the five BCC fidelity areas, provider training and treatment delivery, within a chronic illness self-management program for the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation. Our team selected and adapted strategies from, and added strategies to, the BCC framework, that centered on relational accountability and the Apsáalooke culture. To be culturally consonant, we approached treatment fidelity as supporting Aakbaabaaniilea (Apsáalooke program facilitators) rather than monitoring them. This resulted in the development of a fifth treatment fidelity area: building and fostering relationships. We propose that fidelity to relational accountability is the foundation of successful programs in Indigenous communities. This suggests an important shift from tracking what was conducted in an intervention to prioritizing how things were conducted. We encourage others to view the BCC framework as a starting point in developing fidelity strategies that are consonant with local cultures.

Older person’s experience of PT4Ageing—A programme on self-management «support» in chronic illness

ObjectiveThis study sought to describe the experience of a group of older adults who participated in a chronic illness self-management program. MethodsThe study employed a qualitative phenomenological approach. Participants were eight elders and data collected using semi-structured interviews Data was analysed using thematic analysis. ResultsFive themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Tips to improve our daily lives, (2) I was always motivated, (3) Sharing and mutual help, (4) They made us believe we were capable (5). It would be great if it did not end here. Globally, the participants of the program described their experience as very positive. They identified gains from participating in the program, such as learning strategies to help them cope with their health problems, improving their ability to manage their illnesses more autonomously and building social support, that even persisted after the conclusion of the intervention. ConclusionThe findings of this study provide insight into how older adults experience a program for the self-management of chronic illness. For the development of future programs, support building must be considered. Older adults who participate in self-management programmes exhibit improved self-efficacy in relation to the management their chronic illnesses and greater autonomy in self-care.

Impact of warm mindfulness on emotion regulation: A randomized controlled effectiveness trial.

To determine the effects of mindfulness training for primary care (MTPC), an integrated warm mindfulness training program, on emotion regulation and its relationship with health behavior change. Interventions that improve self-regulation, particularly emotion regulation, are needed for the self-management of comorbid chronic physical and mental illnesses. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may impact self-regulation and facilitate health behavior change. A randomized controlled comparative effectiveness trial was conducted in a population of adult primary care patients to evaluate the impact of MTPC versus a low-dose mindfulness comparator (LDC) on self-reported difficulties in emotion regulation (DERS) total score and other assays of self-regulation at baseline, Weeks 8 and 24. Self-reported action plan initiation was reported between Weeks 8 and 10. Participants had diagnoses of anxiety, depression, or stress-related disorders. MTPC is an 8-week insurance-reimbursable warm MBI designed to cultivate mindfulness and self-compassion and to catalyze chronic illness self-management related health behavior change. Compared to LDC, MTPC participants had statistically significant reductions in DERS total score at 8 weeks (d = -0.59, β = -12.98, 95% CI [-23.3 to -2.6]; p = .01) and 24 weeks (d = -0.61, β = -13.35, [-24.3, -2.4]; p = .02). Compared to 38% for LDC, 63% of MTPC participants successfully initiated their action plan within 3 weeks (OR = 2.87, [1.1, 7.9]; p = .04). This randomized controlled trial demonstrated MTPC enhanced emotion regulation and facilitated initiation of chronic illness self-management and health behavior change among primary care patients with anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders, replicating previous reports. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Relationship Between Chronic Disease Self-Management and Well-Being in Hemodialysis Patients / Hemodiyaliz Hastalarında Kronik Hastalık Öz Yönetimi ve İyilik Hali Arasındaki İlişki

Aims: To appraise the relation between self-management and well-being and related sociodemographic and clinical features in patients receiving hemodialysis treatment. Methods: The study was carried out with 261 patients who were treated at three hemodialysis centers in Izmir between September and December 2022 and who met the criteria for inclusion. The data of the research; “Sociodemographic Data Form”, “PERMA Scale” and “Chronic Illness SelfManagement Scale” were collected through face-to-face interviews. Ethics committee approval was obtained to conduct the study. Number, percent, mean, standard deviation, Mann Whitney U/Kruskal Wallis H tests and Spearman correlation analysis were used in the statistical analysis of the data. Results: The PERMA Scale mean score was 7.21±1.31 and the self management scale mean score was 3.31±0.35. Patients who have a high perception of psychological well-being, who have no problems with diet and who can cope with physical problems completely have higher levels of both self-management and well-being (p<0.05).There is a positive relationship between self-management and well-being (r: 0.385, p<0.01). Conclusion: Results supported that hemodialysis patients were found to have moderate disease self-management and high wellbeing. In addition, it was determined that as the disease selfmanagement increased, the well-being of the patients increased.

O.26.5 - Factors challenging the integration of chronic illness self-management. A qualitative scoping review: Presenter(s): Enxhi Qama, Swiss Paraplegic Research and University of Lucerne, Switzerland

O.26.5 - Factors challenging the integration of chronic illness self-management. A qualitative scoping review: Presenter(s): Enxhi Qama, Swiss Paraplegic Research and University of Lucerne, Switzerland

A Center Experience with Common Data Elements in Chronic Illness Self-Management Research.

In recent decades, the use of common data elements has expanded across the health disciplines. This has included growth within programs of research focused on self-management and family nursing. Family nursing and self-management science may be expanded with the increased use of common concepts, measures, and theoretical frameworks. This article describes the experience of exploring the use of common data elements and identifying shared concepts from the perspective of one National Institute of Nursing Research funded Exploratory Center in Self-Management. Guidance offered by the Individual and Family Self-Management Theory is discussed, and implications for family research are presented.

Understanding older peoples' chronic disease self-management practices and challenges in the context of grandchildren caregiving: A qualitative study in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

While chronic diseases are amongst the major health burdens of older South Africans, the responsibilities of caring for grandchildren, by mostly grandmothers, may further affect older people's health and well-being. There is a paucity of information about chronic disease self-management for older people in the context of grandchildren caregiving in sub-Saharan Africa. Guided by the Self-Management Framework, the purpose of this qualitative methods study was to explore the chronic disease self-management practices and challenges of grandparent caregivers in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Eighteen repeat in-depth interviews were carried out with six grandparent caregivers aged 56 to 80 years over 12 months. Thematic analysis was conducted based on the Self-Management Framework. Pathways into self-management of chronic illnesses were identified: living with a chronic illness, focusing on illness needs, and activating resources. Self-perceptions of caregiving dictated that grandmothers, as women, have the responsibility of caring for grandchildren when they themselves needed care, lived in poverty, and with chronic illnesses that require self-management. However, despite the hardship, the gendered role of caring for grandchildren brought meaning to the grandmothers' lives and supported self-management due to the reciprocal relationship with grandchildren, although chronic illness self-management was complicated where relationships between grandmothers and grandchildren were estranged. The study findings demonstrate that grandchildren caregiving and self-management of chronic conditions are inextricably linked. Optimal self-management of chronic diseases must be seen within a larger context that simultaneously addresses chronic diseases, while paying attention to the intersection of socio-cultural factors with self-management.

Self-care of hypertension of older adults during COVID-19 lockdown period: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundCOVID-19 pandemic has aggravated chronic diseases and health disparities especially hypertension because it is more common among vulnerable populations such as older adults.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the effects of a public health nursing intervention plus m-Health applications for hypertension management on enhancing the self-care, systolic and diastolic of blood pressure, and quality of life in older adults during the lockdown period in Jordan.MethodsA randomized, controlled trial design was performed in Jordan. A total of 120 participants were randomly allocated to three groups (n = 40); interventional group (public health nursing interventions plus m.Health applications) and two control groups (m.Health applications alone group and standard care group).ResultsAfter 3 months, the interventional group show significantly decreased in systolic blood pressure − 14 (F = 16.74, P = 0.001), greater improvement in self-care maintenance, monitoring, and confidence (+ 30, + 17.75, + 40.27; P < 0.01, respectively) compared to the two control groups. Greater improvement in role limitations due to physical health and due to emotional problems, pain, energy/fatigue, emotional well-being, and social functioning of quality of life (P < 0.05) compared to the standard care group. No statistical significant difference was found in diastolic blood pressure (F = 3.91, P = 0.141), physical functioning (P = 0.613), and general quality of life (P = 0.060).ConclusionsThis study supports the adoption of technology with nursing intervention as a method of supporting continuity of self-management of chronic illness during the pandemic, and its potential implications for future delivery of health care, not just in Jordan, but across the world.Trial registrationClinical Trial.gov (ID NCT04992000). Registered August 12, 2021.

National Implementation of a Group-Based Program Promoting Patient Engagement and Peer Support in the Veterans Health Administration: A Multi-Methods Evaluation.

Evidence-based approaches promoting patient engagement and chronic illness self-management include peer support, shared decision-making, and education. Designed based on these components, Taking Charge of My Life and Health (TCMLH) is a group-based, ‘Whole Person’ care program promoting mental and physical self-care and patient empowerment. Despite evidence of effectiveness, little is known about implementation for TCMLH and similar programs. In this first-of-its-kind, multi-methods evaluation conducted between 2015–2020, we report on implementation strategies and intervention adaptations with a contextual analysis to describe TCMLH translational efforts in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities across the United States. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via listening sessions with TCMLH facilitators, open-ended survey responses from facilitators, and quarterly reports from clinical implementation sites. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to analyze, interpret, and organize qualitative findings, and descriptive statistics to analyze quantitative data. Most TCMLH programs (58%) were adapted from the original format, including changes to the modality, duration, or frequency of sessions. Findings suggest these adaptations occurred in response to barriers including space, staffing constraints, and participant recruitment. Overall, findings highlight practical insights for improving the implementation of TCMLH, including recommendations for additional adaptations and tailored implementation strategies to promote its reach.

Improving Chronic Illness Self-Management with the Apsáalooke Nation: The Báa nnilah Project, a cluster randomized trial protocol

Chronic illness (CI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for Indigenous people. In Montana, Indigenous communities disproportionately experience CI, a legacy of settler colonialism. For over two decades, Messengers for Health, an Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) non-profit, and Montana State University have partnered to improve community health using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. We developed Báa nnilah, an intervention utilizing community strengths, to improve CI self-management. This manuscript describes the protocol for a cluster randomized trial with two arms: an intervention group and a wait list control group, who both participated in the Báa nnilah program. Enrollment occurred through family/clan networks and community outreach and attended to limitations of existing CI self-management interventions by using an approach and content that were culturally consonant. Participants received program materials, attended seven gatherings focused on improving CI management, and received and shared health information through storytelling based on a conceptual framework from the Apsáalooke culture and incorporating CI self-management strategies. Participant support occurred within partnership dyads during and between gatherings, from community mentors, and by program staff. The study used mixed methods to evaluate the intervention, with qualitative measures including the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Patient Activation Measure (PAM), and a suite of PROMIS measures, various physical tests and qualitative survey responses, semi-structured interviews, and outcomes shared by participants with program staff. We hypothesized that Báa nnilah would significantly improve participant health outcome measures across multiple dimensions with quality of life (QoL) as the primary outcome. Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03036189. Registered on 30 January 2017. (From https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03036189).

Staying The Course And Staying Engaged: The Road To Medication Adherence

<h3>Introduction</h3> Medication nonadherence in persons with heart failure (HF) is responsible for increased hospitalizations, morbidity, and mortality. Persons experiencing negative emotions, such as depression, are less motivated to take medications as prescribed, but very little is known about the influence of positive psychological characteristics (PPC), such as resilience and hope, on medication adherence in persons with HF. Activation, the degree to which individuals are motivated to engage self-management behaviors, has been identified as an important factor in chronic illness self-management. But there is little evidence about the role of activation in HF medication adherence. <h3>Aim</h3> The aim of this study was to investigate whether PPC (i.e., resilience, hope) and patient activation can explain or predict medication adherence in persons with HF. <h3>Methods</h3> A linear regression was calculated to predict medication adherence based on resilience, hope, and activation. Utilizing convenience sampling, 174 adults with HF completed the Patient Activation Measure (short-form) (PAM), 14-item Resilience Scale (short-form), Adult Hope Scale and Voils Self-Report of Medication Nonadherence Measurement (Part 1). Instruments were completed via the Qualtrics online platform. Linear regression models were used to show the relationships among the variables. <h3>Results</h3> Resilience, hope, and activation were positively correlated with medication adherence (p=.01). The model as a whole is significant <i>(F(3, 170)=7.398, p=.000, R² =.34)</i> and explains 15% of the variance in medication adherence scores. Resilience <i>(Beta= -.31, t(.02)=-3.0, p=.003)</i> and PAM <i>(Beta= -.17, t(.21)=-2.21, p=.028)</i> make a significant unique contribution to predicting medication adherence. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Resilience makes the strongest unique contribution to explaining medication adherence, followed by activation and hope. Resilient, hopeful, and activated persons with HF are more likely to take medications as prescribed. Thus, enhancing PPC and activation in persons with HF may result in improved medication adherence.

Challenges and patient strategies in seeking health services for chronic stroke: A qualitative study

Objective: Previous healthcare informatics research identifies a critical need for information technologies to support the selfmanagement of chronic illness by patients and caregivers. However, little is known about their experiences and challenges in seeking health services.Methods: We present a qualitative study with chronic stroke patients and their caregivers. Among them the 13 patients who participated in the study, 9 patients also participated together with a caregiver, who played a major role in helping the patients seek health services and the other 4 stroke patients, who dealt with stroke management independently, participated in the study by themselves. We used a grounded theory approach to analyze the interview data.Results: Our findings revealed three main barriers that stroke patients and their caregivers faced in utilizing affordable, accessible, and satisfactory health services and the corresponding strategies they adopted to cope with these challenges.Conclusions: We discussed that these strategies reflect patients’ creative appropriation in making services affordable and could inform technology design that builds around patients’ creation. In addition, patients’ collaborative and yet onerous strategies to access health services imply the opportunities of designing technologies that leverage local social resources. Moreover, to offer satisfactory health services, it is valuable to provide individualized treatment plans that consider patients’ treatment goals, symptoms, and home environment. The findings could apply to similar neurological diseases that require long-term rehabilitation.

Neural Processing of Health Information and Hypertension Self-Management in African Americans.

Uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) rates are persistently high among African Americans with hypertension. Although self-management is critical to controlling BP, little is known about the brain-behavior connections underlying the processing of health information and the performance of self-management activities. In this pilot study, we explored the associations among neural processing of two types of health information and a set of self-management cognitive processes (self-efficacy, activation, decision-making, and hypertension knowledge) and behaviors (physical activity, dietary intake, and medication taking) and health status indicators (BP, health-related quality of life, anxiety, and depression). Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, 16 African Americans with uncontrolled hypertension (mean age = 57.5 years, 68.8% women) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess activation of two neural networks, the task-positive network and the default mode network, and a region in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex associated with emotion-focused and analytic-focused health information. Participants completed self-reports and clinical assessments of self-management processes, behaviors, and health status indicators. Our hypothesis that neural processing associated with different types of health information would correlate with self-management cognitive processes and behaviors and health status indicators was only partially supported. Home diastolic BP was positively associated with ventromedial prefrontal cortex activation ( r = .536, p = .09); no other associations were found among the neural markers and self-management or health status variables. Expected relationships were found among the self-management processes and behaviors and health status indicators. To advance our understanding of the neural processes underlying health information processing and chronic illness self-management, future studies are needed that use larger samples with more heterogeneous populations and additional neuroimaging techniques.

Systematic review of perception of barriers and facilitators to chronic disease self-management among older adults: Implications for evidence-based practice.

An aging population has contributed to an increased prevalence in chronic disease. To empower patients, healthcare systems are shifting toward chronic disease self-management. However, no review on how older adults self-manage chronic disease and the barriers and facilitators they experience has been published. To explore barriers and facilitators perceived by older adults during the process of self-managing chronic disease. A systematic review of qualitative literature was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. The literature search was conducted using Ovid databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL with full text, and PsycINFO) for the period of 1988-2020. All records were screened using predetermined eligibility criteria. The critical appraisal instrument QARI (Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument) was employed to assess the quality of the included studies. Data from the included papers were extracted using the QARI data extraction tool. Extracted data were then synthesized to produce final sets of themes and sub-themes relating to the review question. A total of 267 abstracts were screened, and 13studies reporting barriers and facilitators perceived by older adults during the process of managing chronic diseases were included in the review. Physical and cognitive decline, low-health literacy, culture, and relationships with healthcare professionals were described as barriers. Facilitators were described as resources that supported disease self-management and included family, social networks, healthcare professionals, and religious beliefs. This study highlights the importance of understanding the patients' perspectives of the barriers and enablers of self-management of chronic illness for health professionals across settings. Understanding barriers and facilitators to chronic disease self-management will support health professionals to identify strength-based approaches to self-management that meet the needs of individual older adults.

The Promise of Small Data for Telemedicine in Chronic Condition Management: A Real-World Case Series

Connected care is defined as the “real-time, electronic communication between a patient and a provider, including telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and secure email communication between clinicians and their patients” (Alliance of Connected Care). Connected care can create a high-value interaction strategy with patients when it makes thoughtful use of commercially available digital health technologies with demonstrated both clinical and economic effectiveness. Karantis360™, is a home sensor technology that enables real-time tracking, data analytics and predictive care for personal (at home) care powered by IBM Watson Health. IndividuALLyticsTM is a telemedicine platform driven by a patent-pending an N-of-1 analytical engine and related digital dashboards that provides individual, patient-level evaluation of treatment response. The underlying technology combines disparate digital health technology data with the best evidence-base guidelines with N-of-1 methodology. The output allows for creation of personalized treatments empirically tested at the patient-level over time (aka over the course of care). When aggregated both within and across persons, the time-ordered data can build predictive pathways of behavior and ensure the relevant care and medical treatments are in place to support effective medical and self-management of chronic illness. This case-series report describes the implementation of a joint home sensor technology (big data) and an N-of-1 analytic engine (small data) with three elderly consented volunteer customers-patients of Karantis360™. Each person underwent successive, 2-week behavioral change treatment phases to determine usability, utility regarding medical and self-management and any proximal effects on health risks.

Promotion of Self-Management of Chronic Disease in Children and Teenagers: Scoping Review.

Background: The scientific literature describes that self-management of chronic illness leads to improved health outcomes. Knowledge about interventions that promote self-management behaviors in children and teenagers has been poorly clarified. This study aims to map, in the scientific literature, the nature and extent of interventions that promote self-management of chronic disease, implemented and evaluated in contexts of health care provided to children and teenagers. Methods: The guidelines proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute were followed. The survey was conducted in June 2021, with access to international databases and gray literature, in Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish. Results: Interventions that promote self-management of children and teenagers can be developed through a local contact or through technological means of support for health care. The use of online supports, such as applications or communication platforms, should be parameterized with health professionals, according to the needs of users. Conclusions: The acquisition of self-management skills in pediatrics is a process supported by the family, health professionals and the community, in which the nurse, in partnership, can promote communication and health education through cognitive strategies, behavioral programs included in physical or online programs, adjusted to the patients’ needs.

Community sharing: Contextualizing Western research notions of contamination within an Indigenous research paradigm.

Báa nnilah is a chronic illness self-management program designed by and for the Apsáalooke (Crow) community. Arising from a collaboration between an Indigenous nonprofit organization and a university-based research team, Báa nnilah's development, implementation, and evaluation have been influenced by both Indigenous and Western research paradigms (WRPs). Báa nnilah was evaluated using a randomized wait-list control group design. In a WRP, contamination, or intervention information shared by the intervention group with the control group, is actively discouraged as it makes ascertaining causality difficult, if not impossible. This approach is not consonant with Apsáalooke cultural values that include the encouragement of sharing helpful information with others, supporting an Indigenous research paradigm's (IRP) goal of benefiting the community. The purpose of this paper is to address contamination and sharing as an area of tension between WRP and IRP. We describe how the concepts of contamination and sharing within Báa nnilah's implementation and evaluation are interpreted differently when viewed from these contrasting paradigms, and set forth a call for greater exploration of Indigenous research approaches for developing, implementing, and evaluating intervention programs in Indigenous communities. (Improving Chronic Illness Management with the Apsáalooke Nation: The Báa nnilah Project.: NCT03036189), ClinicalTrials. gov: NCT03036189).