Navigating cultural diversity and conversation barriers in palliative care: a mini review

Abstract

Navigating cultural diversity while providing palliative care is crucial to ensure that healthcare providers offer their patients the best possible care. Palliative care is increasingly confronted with cultural diversity. To achieve quality care, clinicians must be culturally competent and receive cross-cultural training. Culturally competent clinicians are those who adhere to organizational policies, undergo cross-culture training, and utilize the latest advances to enhance communication, improve health outcomes, and reduce racial and ethnic health disparities. Objective: The main aim of this review is to understand the complexities and challenges associated with navigating cultural diversity in palliative care. This entails recognizing and addressing religious beliefs, family roles, and other culturally rooted practices and perceptions that could influence the delivery of palliative care. Findings: Various cultural barriers have been identified that healthcare providers face, including communication barriers, religious beliefs, family roles, beliefs about suffering and pain, alternative medicines, trust in healthcare providers, radical and ethnic bias, and gender bias. Technological advances, organizational policies, and targeted education can mitigate these cultural and cross-cultural communication barriers. Enhanced training fosters understanding and ensures that diverse populations receive respectful end-of-life and palliative care. Such strategies promote trust, enhance patient-provider relationships, and lead to improved health outcomes. Conclusion: Navigating cultural diversity in palliative care is crucial. Despite the presence of various technological advancements, the ongoing necessity for healthcare providers to possess cultural competence and sensitivity remains evident. Continuous training, education, and heightened awareness are essential. The implementation of IA tools, revisions to organizational policies, and the enhancement of medical training can contribute to achieving cultural competence in healthcare. Looking ahead, we aspire to see improved personalized care that harmonizes medical expertise with cultural understanding, ultimately reducing disparities and elevating care standards universally.