Sociocultural Dimensions of Community‐Based Palliative Care in Brazil and Indonesia An Ethnographic Study

Background: Palliative care services are increasingly implemented in diverse sociocultural settings around the world.
Aim: Our ethnographic project aimed to explore the sociocultural and organizational dimensions of community-based palliative care in Brazil and Indonesia.
Methods: We used ethnographic research methods to study local models of palliative care provision in Brazil and Indonesia. These countries were chosen because of similarities in stages of palliative care service development and yet differences in healthcare organization and dominant religion. After scoping initiatives, in each country, one thriving community-based initiative was selected for an in-depth case study through semistructured interviews and participant observation. Thematic analysis was first done for the individual cases and then compared across cases in team meetings.
Results: The case studies of community-based initiatives reveal (1) how local values are included in the development and practice of palliative care; (2) how these initiatives build on existing local health care structures; and (3) how local palliative care workers introduce the term “palliative care” with sensitivity to the local cultural context.
Conclusion: As palliative care services are implemented in various sociocultural settings, a better understanding of successful community-based models for palliative care provision is needed to adapt services to local contexts.