Association between end-of-life cancer care and immigrant status: a retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada

Inequities in access to palliative and end-of-life care in the black population in Canada: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Improving equity and early access to palliative care for underserved populations in Canada is a priority. Little is known regarding access to palliative and end-of-life care in the Black population.

METHODS

We undertook a scoping review using the framework by Arksey and O'Malley to identify knowledge, access gaps, and experiences of palliative and end-of-life care among Blacks living with life-limiting illnesses in Canada. Primary studies, discussion papers, books, and reports were considered eligible. We followed a comprehensive search strategy developed by an information scientist. Searches were performed in the following bibliographic databases: Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO via OVID, CINAHL via EBSCOhost, Scopus and Cochrane Library via Wiley. The search strategy was derived from three main concepts: (1) Black people; (2) Canada and Canadian provinces; (3) Palliative, hospice, or end-of-life care. No publication date or language limits were applied. Titles and abstracts were screened for eligibility by one reviewer and full text by two independent reviewers.

RESULTS

The search yielded 233 articles. Nineteen articles were selected for full-text review, and 7 articles met the inclusion criteria. These studies were published between 2010 and 2021, and conducted in the provinces of Ontario and Nova Scotia only. Studies used both quantitative and qualitative methods and included cancer decedents, next of kin, family caregivers and religious leaders. Sample sizes in various studies ranged from 6 - 2,606 participants. Included studies reported a general lack of understanding about palliative and end-of-life care, positive and negative experiences, and limited access to palliative and end-of-life care for Blacks, across all care settings.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest limited knowledge of palliative care and inequities in access to palliative and end-of-life care for Blacks living with life-limiting illnesses in 2 Canadian provinces. There is an urgent need for research to inform tailored and culturally acceptable strategies to improve understanding and access to palliative care and end-of-life care among Blacks in Canada.

Increasing access to palliative care for patients with advanced cancer of African and Latin American descent: a patient-oriented community-based study protocol

BACKGROUND

Cancer disparities are a major public health concern in Canada, affecting racialized communities of Latin American and African descent, among others. This is evident in lower screening rates, lower access to curative, and palliative-intent treatments, higher rates of late cancer diagnoses and lower survival rates than the general Canadian population. We will develop an Access to Palliative Care Strategy informed by health equity and patient-oriented research principles to accelerate care improvements for patients with advanced cancer of African and Latin American descent.

METHODS

This is a community-based participatory research study that will take place in two Canadian provinces. Patients and community members representatives have been engaged as partners in the planning and design of the study. We have formed a patient advisory council (PAC) with patient partners to guide the development of the Access to Palliative Care Strategy for people of African and Latin American descent. We will engage100 participants consisting of advanced cancer patients, families, and community members of African and Latin American descent, and health care providers. We will conduct in-depth interviews to delineate participants' experiences of access to palliative care. We will explore the intersections of race, gender, socioeconomic status, language barriers, and other social categorizations to elucidate their role in diverse access experiences. These findings will inform the development of an action plan to increase access to palliative care that is tailored to our study population. We will then organize conversation series to examine together with community partners and healthcare providers the appropriateness, effectiveness, risks, requirements, and convenience of the strategy. At the end of the study, we will hold knowledge exchange gatherings to share findings with the community.

DISCUSSION

This study will improve our understanding of how patients with advanced cancer from racialized communities in Canada access palliative care. Elements to address gaps in access to palliative care and reduce inequities in these communities will be identified. Based on the study findings a strategy to increase access to palliative care for this population will be developed. This study will inform ways to improve access to palliative care for racialized communities in other parts of Canada and globally.

Cancer treatment-related decision-making among culturally and linguistically diverse older adults with cancer: A scoping review by the International Society of Geriatric Oncology Nursing and Allied Health Interest Group

INTRODUCTION

Countries with large economies are observing a growing number of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) older adults, many of whom will be affected by cancer. Little is known about the experiences and factors that influence cancer treatment decision-making in this population. The purposes of this scoping review are: (1) to summarize the published literature on cancer treatment-related decision-making with this population; and (2) to identify potential differences in how cancer treatment decisions are made compared to non-CALD older adults with cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a scoping review following Arksey and O'Malley and Levac methods, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Scoping Review Guidelines. We conducted a comprehensive multidatabase search, screening 1,139 titles/abstracts. Following data abstraction, we analyzed the data using tabular and narrative summary.

RESULTS

We extracted data from six studies that met the inclusion criteria: four quantitative and two qualitative; five from the United States and one from Canada. Three themes were identified: (1) barriers to decision-making, (2) the influence of family and friends on decisionmaking, and (3) differences in uptake and types of treatment received between CALD and non-CALD older adults.

DISCUSSION

This comprehensive review of treatment decision-making among CALD older adults with cancer highlights the paucity of research in this area. The findings are limited to North American populations and may not represent experiences in other regions of the world. Future research should focus on studying their treatment-related decision-making experiences to improve the quality of care for this vulnerable population.

From Cultural Safety to Anti-Racism: Reflections on Addressing Inequities in Palliative Care

The purpose of palliative care is to ease the suffering of individuals with a serious and often life-limiting illness throughout the course of their disease by providing holistic care that considers the physical, spiritual, and psychosocial dimensions of health and well-being. Research shows that a palliative approach to care is cost-effective for the healthcare system and results in improved quality of life for patients and their loved ones. However, it is well-documented in the literature that structurally vulnerable populations have greater difficulty accessing equitable and culturally safe palliative care. Several domains are identified as contributing factors to the disparities seen in the literature, including systemic racism, cultural differences around death and suffering, and language barriers. Although Canada has had a national palliative care framework since 2018, ongoing issues of access and equity continue to disproportionately impact certain groups, including racially marginalized, immigrant, and low-income communities. In this commentary, successes and ongoing gaps in providing culturally safe and anti-racist palliative care are explored. In these proposed interventions, we advocate for a palliative approach to care that is grounded in equity, justice, and human rights.

End-of-Life Health Resource Utilization for Limited English-Proficient Patients With Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE:

Limited English-proficient (LEP) patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may receive less palliative care services and more likely to receive aggressive end-of-life (EoL) care. Goals of this retrospective cohort study are to compare access to community palliative home care (CPHC), do not resuscitate (DNR) form completion, place of death, and health resource utilization at EoL between English-proficient (EP) and LEP patients with NSCLC in Vancouver, Canada.

METHODS:

All patients with advanced NSCLC referred in 2016 and received medical care were included. Patients were classified as LEP if seen with a medical interpreter. Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the outcomes between the two groups.

RESULTS:

One hundred eighty-six patients were referred, 66% EP. Rates of CPHC referral and DNR form completion were the same for both groups (84% and 92%, P = 1.00). LEP patients received earlier access to CPHC (15 v 10 weeks before death, P = .039). Rates of ER visits within 6 months and 30 days of death were 0.89 for EP patients and 0.7 for LEP patients, P = .374, and 0.1 for EP patients and 0.13 for LEP patients, P = .244. Hospitalization rates within 6 months and 30 days of death were 1.4 for EP patients and 1.59 for LEP patients, P = .640, and 0.67 for EP patients and 0.81 for LEP patients, P = .091. EP patients were more likely to have a home death (26% v 14%), whereas LEP patients died in acute care (23% v 14%) or a tertiary palliative care unit (24% v 19%). This was not statistically significant ( P = .335). LEP patients had better median overall survival (8.5 v 5.4 months, P < .001), but when controlled by age, mutation, and EP status, only receipt of palliative-intent systemic therapy was statistically significant.

CONCLUSION:

EP and LEP patients with NSCLC have similar referral rates to CPHC, DNR form completion, and EoL health resource utilization. The measured EoL variables did not demonstrate significant disparities between EP and LEP patients.

Quality of end-of-life care in multiple myeloma: A 13-year analysis of a population-based cohort in Ontario, Canada

Optimizing end-of-life (EOL) care for multiple myeloma (MM) represents an unmet need. An administrative cohort in Ontario, Canada was analysed between 2006 and 2018. Aggressive care was defined as two or more emergency-department visits in the last 30 days before death, or at least two new hospitalizations within 30 days of death, or an intensive care unit (ICU) admission within the last 30 days of life. Supportive care was defined as a physician house-call in the last two weeks before death, or a palliative nursing or personal support visit at home in the last 30 days before death. Among 5095 patients, 23.2% of patients received chemotherapy at EOL and 55.6% of patients died as inpatient. A minority received aggressive care at EOL [28.3%: autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), 20.4%: non-ASCT], and a majority received supportive care at EOL (65.4%: ASCT, 61.5%: non-ASCT). Supportive care was less likely to be received by those aged over 80 years and in lower-income neighbourhoods. Supportive care at EOL increased from 56.0% in 2006 to 70.3% in 2018. Despite improvements, many patients with MM experience aggressive care at EOL. Even in a publicly funded health care system, disparities based on age, income and community size are present.