Adapting the systemic lupus erythematosus self-help (SLESH) course for Latino SLE patients

The Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Self-Help (SLESH) Course is an effective self-management program that provides knowledge and enabling skills to people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their families to assist them in coping with the disease. However, many acknowledge that the program has largely failed to meet the needs of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. In order to better understand how the SLESH Course can be more responsive to the needs of people from diverse cultural groups, we conducted a case study to analyze the content, process, and logistics of the course. The purpose of our study was to determine the essential variables to be considered in adapting the program for Latino SLE patients. Utilizing a three-phase approach that involved key-informant interviews, focus groups, and evaluation of skill-building activities, we found that culturally determined health beliefs, language of preference, and outreach efforts are the key variables that must be considered in adapting the SLESH Course for the target population. Culturally determined health beliefs, such as the importance of family roles rather than individual need and an emphasis on the interdependency of family members, need to be considered in adapting self-help programs like the SLESH Course for Latino SLE patients.