Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2010
ReviewCultural conceptualizations of hospice palliative care: more similarities than differences.
The role of culture is significant in hospice palliative care (HPC). While mainstream HPC has been well described in many Western countries, there is no conceptual clarity regarding the meaning of HPC among minority cultures and ethnicities. ⋯ They highlight: (i) that HPC should attend to the physical, psychosocial and spiritual aspects of death and dying; (ii) that the ideal HPC provider demonstrates excellent knowledge and expertise about end-of-life care, and is respectful, genuine and compassionate; and (iii) that HPC should include a range of resources that alleviate the potential burdens associated with end-of-life care. The synthesis of this knowledge suggests that expectations regarding the scope of HPC across ethnic and cultural groups have more similarities than differences to the goals of mainstream HPC.