TABLE 3—

Collaborative Health Disparities Initiatives Undertaken to Address Health Disparities for American Indians in the Indian Health Service (IHS) Billings Area (Montana and Wyoming)

Pilot Research Studies Develop educational intervention to increase seat belt use on reservations Conduct consumer health services satisfaction survey using a modified Consumer Assessment of Health Plan Survey Evaluate alternate technologies for diagnosing diabetic retinopathy and other eye disease Design and pilot test a suicide prevention for young adults Examine disparities in access to emergency medical services Design and pilot test a transition program to provide health and substance abuse treatment services to young adult offenders Design and implement a pilot program for community-based residential assessment for at-risk adolescent female drug users Examine the direct and indirect economic costs of methamphetamine use on a reservation Develop a “Healthy Reservations” model and a tribal work plan to implement it Examine factors affecting screening rates and follow-up of abnormal findings for breast and cervical cancer Develop and test a methodology to use a consumer satisfaction survey for performance improvement in IHS facilities

Community Outreach and Information Dissemination Develop a diabetes self-management education curriculum Train tribal community health representatives to teach diabetes self-management education courses Develop and implement a standardized community health assessment tool and methodology

Mentoring Develop and publish a cultural and mentoring research design guide for use by non–American Indian/Alaska Native researchers Conduct grant-writing workshops for tribal health directors and tribal diabetes educators

Database and Information Develop a shared-resource research database Develop a Web-based inventory of American Indian/Alaska Native health research, pilot programs, and best practices

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Establish a Center for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Resources and Technical Assistance