BACKGROUND
Despite high rates of alcohol abstinence, Alaska Native and American Indian (ANAI) people experience a disproportionate burden of alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. Lack of culturally relevant resources, combined with limited treatment access and privacy concerns regarding peer-support programs in rural areas, poses particular treatment barriers for ANAI people.
OBJECTIVE
Objective: This study was the first phase of a feasibility study of a culturally tailored version of an off-the-shelf smartphone app to aid ANAI people in managing or reducing their use of alcohol. Its goal was to gather insights and preferences from ANAI people and ANAI-serving healthcare providers to guide feature development and cultural adaptation.
METHODS
In October 2018 – September 2019, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 ANAI patients and 8 providers in a Tribal healthcare organization in southcentral Alaska.
RESULTS
Participants generally endorsed the usefulness of a smartphone app for alcohol self-management, citing anonymity, 24/7 access, peer support, and patient choice as key attributes. Desired cultural adaptations included ANAI and land-themed design elements, cultural content (e.g., stories from Elders), and spiritual resources.
CONCLUSIONS
ANAI patients and their providers were receptive to the idea of a culturally adapted smartphone app for sobriety support. They considered an app especially useful for rural-dwelling ANAI people, as well as those who lack timely access to treatment services or prefer to work toward managing their alcohol use outside the clinical setting. These results are guiding the next phase of the study.