Ripples in the water: a toolkit for Aboriginal people on hemodialysis.

In 2004-2005, the authors were engaged in a community-based research study with people of Elsipogtog First Nation to determine the causes of and solutions to non-adherence among community members with chronic kidney disease. This study highlighted the need for a toolkit intended for Aboriginal people who are required to undergo hemodialysis at a dialysis unit in a city away from their rural community, so that they are sufficiently educated, supported and resourced to access and experience culturally relevant health care. This paper presents the findings of a two-year community-based research study to develop the prototype or model for such a toolkit.