Insights and Practical Strategies for Health Research Among Haitian Immigrants: Lessons Learned From the Miami-Dade Picuriste Study

Useful health research is foundational to disease prevention and treatment, especially when conducted among understudied populations for whom hidden cultural health beliefs and norms may result in disease. Lessons learned from field experiences during an exploratory mixed-method study of Haitian picuristes (injectionists) in Florida reveal the usefulness of knowledge and application of formal and informal protocols that demonstrate awareness and respect of Haitian norms, and the importance of fostering relationships of trust as complements to clear and relevant research objectives. These facilitate entree, engagement, rapport, management of discursiveness and environmental interruptions, and modification of research instruments. Health researchers in U.S. Haitian enclaves should be process-oriented, flexible, and transparent from recruitment to dissemination phases of research.