Background/Aims: Rural Māori with stroke experience stroke care access barriers. This study focusses on engaging with Māori with stroke residing in two discrete rural areas in Aotearoa New Zealand to co-design interventions that can address experienced challenges.
Methods: This study involves a series of focus group engaging both Māori with stroke and their carers as well as rurally based stroke and community providers to identify current access barriers, brainstorm solutions, and design two interventions. In a subsequent phase these interventions will be implemented and tested. Each focus group is videorecorded and undergoes an inductive thematic analysis.
Results: To date we have conducted four focus groups identifying barriers and are honing in on solutions. Specifically, we have identified that knowledge of stroke and its recognition by front line health providers could be significantly enhanced. The group is now looking at developing digital education resources targeting specifically rural health providers and Māori communities. In the other area the participants have highlighted concerns around appropriate communication and the need for acceptance of culturally relevant traditional healing practices within the hospital stroke care setting. The next meetings will look at developing strategies to addressing this challenge.
Discussion: This study is ongoing, however, using a Kaupapa Māori based co-design methodology appears effective in engaging with rural Māori with stroke by incorporating shared decision-making and self-determination in a culturally safe environment to address some of the current access barriers.