Disparities in health care and health outcomes鈥攚hen income or living circumstances have a negative impact on people鈥檚 health鈥攊s something Diabetes 91原创 researcher, Dr. David Campbell, is determined to expose, explore and help remedy鈥攅specially as it relates to diabetes.
The endocrinologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Calgary has helped to determine links between homelessness, poverty and diabetes outcomes (the long-term effects of living with the condition) and is also working to find ways to help improve health outcomes for this population.
People living with diabetes while experiencing homelessness face many challenges managing their condition. Dr. Campbell鈥檚 research shows that they have a five-fold increased risk of hospitalization for diabetes, an 85 per cent higher risk for heart attacks and strokes, and death rates that are 45 per cent higher, compared to people who are housed.
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Through a unique research approach and support from Diabetes 91原创, Dr. Campbell is working to reduce the stigma faced by this population and, in turn, is hoping to help them to achieve better diabetes outcomes.
What is unique about the way you conduct your research?
I invite community members who have lived the experience and are the real experts to join my team to guide our work and act as co-researchers. The way I think about research is that I exist to help do what the community wants to do and wants to know. For example, in my research project funded by Diabetes 91原创, 鈥淪tories of Stigma: Experiences of Managing Diabetes While 91原创less,鈥 we worked with our group of community co-researchers, the Calgary Diabetes Advocacy Committee, to understand the challenges they have faced. It was a long list, but when we zeroed in, they said their top priority was to understand and combat the stigma that arises from a lack of awareness about what it鈥檚 like to live with diabetes in their circumstances.
Dr. David Campbell, endocrinologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Calgary
Contributed
When we interviewed people who work with this group鈥攕helter staff, first responders, and more鈥攖o determine their level of awareness about diabetes, we found they didn鈥檛 really understand what these folks needed to thrive, but they wanted to have that knowledge. That led to the development of a narrative film, which we have just started showing. The film shares stories from the members of the Calgary Diabetes Advocacy Committee with the goal of helping others understand these challenges better. I鈥檓 very excited that we have been able to bring these stories to life, and I鈥檓 looking forward to seeing what changes we can make together. [The film, Low, premiered at the Vascular 2023 conference in October in Montreal; for now, it will be shown exclusively at conferences.]
What is your long-term goal in bringing these stories to light?
I hope to foster health providers鈥 empathy toward patients who struggle, rather than labelling them as 鈥渄ifficult鈥 when they don鈥檛 do what we ask them to do.
When patients come into our offices, we don鈥檛 know what they are dealing with day to day, so it may be unreasonable to expect them to do the things we ask them to do while they are living in these circumstances. Plus, we鈥檙e so busy in our clinical environments that we often don鈥檛 have time to really engage one-on-one in relationships with patients. My hope is that my team and I can create interventions or tools that will help providers better understand and care for these patients so that their diabetes outcomes will be improved.
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Contributed
Longer term, I think we can learn from outreach teams in mental health and primary care. My next big project will be to launch a mobile diabetes outreach service that will provide full-scale diabetes care in the communities, close to those who need it most. It will include diabetes education, specialist consultation, retinal and foot screening, and point-of-care blood glucose [sugar] testing. We can do all of that on the spot in a 鈥渙ne-stop-shop,鈥 rather than sending people to see various specialists in hospitals and clinics that may be unfamiliar to them.
Like Dr. Campbell鈥檚 research, Diabetes 91原创 is funding research that has the power to change the lives of nearly 12 million people in 91原创 living with diabetes and prediabetes.
鈥淏y tackling health barriers for those experiencing homelessness, Dr. David Campbell is pioneering research through community collaboration,鈥 explains Laura Syron, president and CEO of Diabetes 91原创. 鈥淗is approach fosters solutions at every step and reminds us that combining expertise with lived experiences creates a future where equity and health intertwine.鈥
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