Palliatieve zorg voor mensen met een niet-westerse achtergrond: een handreiking met adviezen

Background: It is increasingly important in palliative care to pay attention to cultural diversity. This article presents the results of a research project aimed at the construction of a guideline for cultural-sensitive palliative care, to be used as an adjunct to the existing clinical symptom guidelines for pain, depression, nausea/vomiting, constipation and delirium in the palliative phase.
Method: The study focused on people from Turkey, Morocco, Surinam, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, as these form the largest ethnic minorities in The Netherlands. A systematic literature review was performed and expert meetings were organised with experienced palliative care professionals and with patient representatives from the selected ethnic groups who were familiar with palliative care.
Results: The literature review and the expert meetings presented more topics relevant to palliative care for ethnic minorities in general than the specific topics of the guidelines. Major themes were language and communication, information about diagnosis and prognosis, end-of-life decisions and the role of the family.
Conclusion: Based on the results of the project, a guideline was written for palliative care for people with a non-western background summarizing the pivotal points.