(VP064) IMPLEMENTING DIABETES POINT-OF-CARE TESTING AND SELF-MANAGEMENT IN RED RIVER MÉTIS COMMUNITIES ACROSS MANITOBA - A PILOT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE

Background: Red River Métis Citizens have a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes compared to all other Manitobans. Moreover, diabetes complications are higher among Métis Citizens living in rural and northern areas with limited access to healthcare services. Therefore, this community engagement initiative aimed to establish effective diabetes screening and self-management practices to help diabetic Métis Citizens in isolated communities achieve glycemic control and attain a better quality of life.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Two mobile clinics have been commissioned to visit Métis communities across Manitoba and administer diabetes point-of-care testing and care to Métis Citizens. Each mobile clinic has a dedicated team consisting of a foot care nurse, a registered nurse, and support staff. Notably, the team is qualified to provide culturally informed diabetes education and refer clients to healthcare providers when necessary. The mobile clinics’ teams also conduct a risk assessment to identify a participant’s risk for developing diabetes complications and provide printed and digital resources to improve the participant’s knowledge of diabetes self-management practices.

Following the launch of this initiative in August 2022, more than 19 Métis communities have subscribed to the mobile clinics’ services. Feedback from participants continues to assert the importance of providing reliable, comprehensive, and holistic diabetes care that is responsive to Métis health needs and is delivered in a culturally informed manner. The participants also identified a need to expand the mobile clinics’ services to include nutrition counselling and support for gestational diabetes care plans. Long-term follow-up is underway to assess the initiative’s success and evaluate participants’ compliance with self-management practices.

Conclusion: Thus far, this initiative has proven successful in providing Métis Citizens in rural and distant communities with holistic diabetes care. The operational framework of this initiative can be scaled up and reproduced to cover other chronic health conditions.