Grant: Project Grant

Indigenous populations are more likely to develop systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). These include conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and myositis. These diseases can cause pain, fatigue, damage to important organs, and even early death. In many Indigenous communities, people often become sicker because the disease is found later and treatment is started too late. The true number of people affected may actually be higher than we think. Many communities face challenges getting the tests to diagnose these conditions. To improve care, we need to better understand these barriers and find solutions that work for Indigenous communities. Our early studies show that it is possible to test for autoimmune diseases using small samples of dried blood (from a finger prick) or saliva. These methods are simpler, less invasive, and easier to collect than traditional blood draws. We shared these results with two Indigenous communities, Standoff and Siksika, and they felt these testing methods would be more acceptable and convenient for their members. They have agreed to partner with us on this project. In this project, we will meet with community members to talk about barriers to diagnosis and care and offer a screening questionnaire plus dried blood spot and saliva diagnostic testing to better understand how common these diseases are. Anyone whose test suggests a possible autoimmune disease will be assessed by a rheumatology specialist. The goal is to help communities understand how often these diseases occur, who may be at higher risk, and how to improve early diagnosis and treatment. Our team includes experts in Indigenous health research, population health, laboratory testing, and sharing research results in meaningful ways. We hope this work will lead to easier access to testing, earlier diagnosis, and better health outcomes for Indigenous peoples, and eventually support similar programs in other communities.