Perspectives of urban Aboriginal people with diabetes regarding appropriate health services.

The purpose of this study was to explore urban Aboriginal people's perspectives on diabetes and their experiences using health services. Using a qualitative approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight urban Aboriginal people with diabetes. The data generated were analyzed using content analysis. The findings indicate that urban Aboriginal people have difficulty accessing and navigating health care services as result of social, cultural, and economic circumstances. Further, lack of resources and information appropriate to participants' needs created difficulties in their making lifestyle changes for diabetes management. Emphasized was the need for greater diabetes awareness and availability of suitable resources for the Aboriginal community. In the discussion, the new paradigm of chronic disease management, with emphasis on self-management, is explored as an approach to change the health care system and make improvements to diabetes care services that positively contribute to Aboriginal people's health. Based on the results, implications for programs and services, health care providers, and further research are presented.