Publications by authors named "Vikas Gampa"

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities continue to experience health disparities and poor health outcomes, which are influenced by social determinants of health. The theory of settler colonialism provides a framework for understanding the structures that affect social determinants of health and the resulting health disparities. Western biomedicine and medical education have been implicated in perpetuating settler colonialism, and as a result Indigenous medical educators and leaders have called for increased education and understanding of the structural and social determinants of health affecting Indigenous populations.

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Background: For people with diabetes, adherence to prescribed medications is essential. However, the rising prevalence of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), and prices of diabetes medications such as insulin, could deter adherence.

Objective: To assess the impact of HDHP on cost-related medication non-adherence (CRN) among non-elderly adults with diabetes in the US.

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Objectives: Understanding barriers to care for transgender people with cancer is necessary to increase oncologic care access. Little has been published regarding the experiences of transgender people with cancer. We sought to explore these experiences, assess barriers to oncologic care, and elucidate potential solutions.

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Racial identity is a complex idea, particularly for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. The idea of a single AI/AN race developed from a European-American view of phenotypic and cultural differences. It continues to have significant consequences for AI/AN populations within the clinical-medical context.

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Objectives: To evaluate the role of primary care healthcare delivery on survival for American Indian patients with diabetes in the southwest United States.

Methods: Data from patients with diabetes admitted to Gallup Indian Medical Center between 2009 and 2016 were analyzed using a log-rank test and Cox Proportional Hazards analyses.

Results: Of the 2661 patients included in analysis, 286 patients died during the study period.

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Background: Strengthening Community Health Worker systems has been recognized to improve access to chronic disease prevention and management efforts in low-resource communities. The Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment (COPE) Program is a Native non-profit organization with formal partnerships with both the Navajo Nation Community Health Representative (CHR) Program and the clinical facilities serving the Navajo Nation. COPE works to better integrate CHRs into the local health care system through training, strengthening care coordination, and a standardized culturally appropriate suite of health promotion materials for CHRs to deliver to high-risk individuals in their homes.

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Background: Navajo Nation Community Health Representatives (CHR) are trained community health workers (CHWs) who provide crucial services for patients and families. The success of the CHRs' interventions depends on the interactions between the CHRs and their clients. This research investigates the culturally specific factors that build and sustain the CHR-client interaction.

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