The Experiences of Filipino American Patients With Cancer

Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Caring for Filipino American and Korean American Patients

As of 2019, there are 4.2 million Filipino Americans (FAs) and 1.9 million Korean Americans (KAs) in the United States, largely concentrated in New York, California, Texas, Illinois, and Washington. In both populations, similar to the broader U.S. culture, one can find health literacy gaps around understanding and utilizing palliative care. In this article, we provide 10 cultural pearls to guide clinicians on how to sensitively approach FA and KA groups when addressing palliative and end-of-life (EOL) discussions. We fully celebrate that every person is an individual and care should be tailored to each person's goals, values, and preference. In addition, there are several cultural norms that, when appreciated and celebrated, may help clinicians to improve serious illness care and EOL discussions for members of these populations.

Palliative Care for the Asian American Adult Population: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

The Asian American (AA) population is rapidly becoming one of the largest racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Despite this growth and advances in palliative care (PC) programs in the United States, the scope and nature of the literature regarding PC for AAs remains unclear. This review provides an overview of existing research on PC for AAs, identifies gaps in the research with recommendations for future research and delineates practice implications.

METHODS

A scoping review of studies published in English was conducted. Electronic Databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases) were searched up to December 2019. No starting date limit was set. Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework was followed for scoping reviews.

RESULTS

Of 2390 publications initially identified, 42 studies met our inclusion criteria for this review. Southeast AA subgroups remain understudied compared to East and South AAs. Most studies were descriptive; a few (n = 3) evaluated effectiveness of PC interventions for AAs. Research synthesized in this review addresses the following topics and includes considerations in PC related to care recipients and their relatives: treatment choice discussions (73%), coordination of care with health care providers (26%), symptom management (14%), and emotional support (10%). This review identified various factors around PC for AAs, specifically the influence of cultural aspects, including levels of acculturation, traditional norms and values, and religious beliefs.

CONCLUSION

A culturally inclusive approach is vital to providing appropriate and accessible PC for AAs. Further research is needed concerning core PC components and effective interventions across diverse AA subgroups.

"How do ethnic minority patients experience the intercultural care encounter in hospitals? a systematic review of qualitative research"

Background

In our globalizing world, caregivers are increasingly being confronted with the challenges of providing intercultural healthcare, trying to find a dignified answer to the vulnerable situation of ethnic minority patients. Until now, international literature lacks insight in the intercultural care process as experienced by the ethnic minority patients themselves. We aim to fill this gap by analysing qualitative literature on the intercultural care encounter in the hospital setting, as experienced by ethnic minority patients.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted for papers published between 2000 and 2015. Analysis and synthesis were guided by the critical interpretive synthesis approach.

Results

Fifty one articles were included. Four dimensions emerged, describing the intercultural care encounter as (1) a meeting of two different cultural contexts of care, (2) in a dynamic and circular process of (3) balancing between the two cultural contexts, which is (4) influenced by mediators as concepts of being human, communication, family members and the hospital’s organizational culture.

Conclusions

This review provides in-depth insight in the dynamic process of establishing intercultural care relationships in the hospital. We call for a broader perspective towards cultural sensitive care in which patients are cared for in a holistic and dignity-enhancing way.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12910-016-0163-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Nursing responses to transcultural encounters: what nurses draw on when faced with a patient from another culture

OBJECTIVE

We explored nurses' experiences when they encounter patients from cultures other than their own and their perception of what helps them deliver culturally competent care.

METHODS

Registered nurses from all shifts and units at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center were invited to complete a questionnaire. Within the time frame allowed, 111 nurses participated by returning completed questionnaires.A descriptive survey was conducted using a questionnaire that contained multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and open-ended items.

RESULTS

A large majority of respondents reported that they drew on prior experience, including experience with friends and family, and through their education and training, and more than half also included travel experience and information obtained through the Internet and news media. They also expressed a desire for more training and continuing education, exposure to more diverse cultures, and availability of more interpreters. When respondents were asked to enumerate the cultures from which their patients have come, their answers were very specific, revealing that these nurses understood culture as going beyond ethnicity to include religious groups, sexual orientation, and social class (eg, homeless).

DISCUSSION

Our research confirmed our hypothesis that nurses are drawing heavily on prior experience, including family experiences and experiences with friends and coworkers from different cultures. Our findings also suggest that schools of nursing are providing valuable preparation for working with diverse populations. Our research was limited to one geographic area and by our purposeful exclusion of a demographic questionnaire. We recommend that this study be extended into other geographic areas. Our study also shows that nurses are drawing on their experiences in caring for patients from other cultures; therefore, we recommend that health care institutions consider exposing not only nurses but also other health care professionals to different cultures by creating activities that involve community projects in diverse communities, offering classes or seminars on different cultures and having an active cultural education program that would reach out to nurses. The experiences provided by such activities and programs would help nurses become more sensitive to the differences between cultures and not immediately judge patients or make assumptions about them.