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Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and periodontal disease are two highly prevalent, directly and independently associated long‐term conditions that disproportionately impact Indigenous Māori in New Zealand (NZ). Although poorly understood, a number of social and biological mechanisms connect these conditions. This qualitative study explored experiences of T2DM and oral and dental (hereafter oral/dental) health; access to oral/dental health care; whether participants' experiences supported or challenged existing evidence; and sought suggestions for improving oral/dental health in a high‐deprivation rural area of Northland, NZ. Methods: Participants (n = 33) meeting the study criteria: self‐identified Māori ethnicity, aged ≥ 18‐years with glycated haemoglobin (HBA1c) >65 mmol/L were recruited via the local primary care clinic in September‐December 2015; two left the study prior to data collection. During face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews, participants (n = 31) were asked How does diabetes affect your teeth? and When did you last access dental care? Kaupapa Māori (KM) theory and methodology provided an important decolonizing lens to critically analyse the fundamental causes of Indigenous health inequities. Results: Independent analysis of qualitative data by three KM researchers identified four themes: access barriers to quality care; pathways to edentulism; the 'cost' of edentulism; and, unmet need. Results contributed towards informing Mana Tū—an evidence‐based KM programme for diabetes in primary care—to be introduced in this and other communities from 2018. Conclusions: Oral health is integral to diabetes management, and vice versa. Subsidized specialist referrals for oral‐dental health care for Māori with T2DM could improve glycaemic control and diabetes outcomes and reduce diabetes‐related complications among this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about aspects that influence recovery and adaptation in the postacute phase of disabling health events is key to understanding how best to provide appropriate rehabilitation and health services. Qualitative longitudinal research makes it possible to look for patterns, key time points and critical moments that could be vital for interventions and supports. However, strategies that support robust data management and analysis for longitudinal qualitative research in health-care are not well documented in the literature. This article reviews three challenges encountered in a large longitudinal qualitative descriptive study about experiences of recovery and adaptation after traumatic brain injury in New Zealand, and the strategies and technologies used to address them. These were (i) tracking coding and analysis decisions during an extended analysis period; (ii) navigating interpretations over time and in response to new data; and (iii) exploiting data volume and complexity. Concept mapping during coding review, a considered combination of information technologies, employing both cross-sectional and narrative analysis, and an expectation that subanalyses would be required for key topics helped us manage the study in a way that facilitated useful and novel insights. These strategies could be applied in other qualitative longitudinal studies in healthcare inquiry to optimise data analysis and stimulate important insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]