Grant: Team Grant: STEPS - Indigenous Communities for Cardiovascular Health

Stroke and heart disease affect First Nations and Métis peoples at higher rates than other Canadians, especially in rural and remote areas where services are limited. This project partners with Elders/Knowledge Keepers, Community Health Workers (CHWs), clinicians, stroke survivors, and families in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to co-design a simple, culturally grounded tool that helps prevent stroke. The tool is a phone or tablet app that works offline, uses clear language and visuals, and supports CHWs during home and community visits. It guides conversations about blood pressure, medications, healthy eating, physical activity, and tobacco/alcohol reduction; helps record information; and suggests next steps, such as referrals, using community-approved pathways. Artificial intelligence (AI) in this project does not diagnose. Instead, it organizes trusted information and flags when extra support may be needed. People remain in control: CHWs, clinicians, and families make decisions together. All data practices adhere to First Nations OCAP and Métis Data Governance principles, ensuring community consent, local control, and robust privacy protections. Over the course of three years, we will co-design and test low- and medium-fidelity prototypes, refine them based on community feedback, and conduct a final round of validation to ensure usability, cultural safety, clarity, and trust. We will also create plain-language materials, consent templates, and a practical "readiness package" so communities can move to a high-quality build and a real-world field study. By strengthening CHW-led, Indigenous-governed prevention initiatives, this project aims to reduce stroke risk, improve access to care, and support healthier futures in First Nations and Métis communities, while informing policy and scaling up across Canada.