Meta-synthesis of ethnic minority families’ experiences of children’s palliative care across developed countries

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Meeting the needs of people accessing healthcare from ethnic minority (EM) groups is of great importance. An insight into their experience is needed to improve healthcare providers’ ability to align their support with the perspectives and needs of families. This review provides insight into how families from EM backgrounds experience children’s palliative care (CPC) by answering the question, “What are the experiences of EM families of children’s palliative care across developed countries?” Methods A systematic search of articles from 6 databases (Scopus, Medline, Web of Science, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Global Health) with no limit to the date of publication. The search was conducted twice, first in June 2022 and again in December 2022. The extracted data were analyzed using thematic synthesis. Results Eight studies explored the experiences of families of EM in different high-income countries. Four themes were identified: unmet needs leading to communication gaps, accessibility of hospital services and resources, the attitude of healthcare workers, and the need for survival as an immigrant. Significance of results Overall, the study shows EM families rely heavily on healthcare professionals’ cultural competence in delivering palliative care for their children. There is an interplay between EM families’ culture, spiritual ties, communication, and social needs from this review. Understanding how to bridge the communication gap and how families use their culture, faith, and spirituality to manage their pain, and grief and improve their quality of life would be extremely beneficial for healthcare practitioners in increasing their support to EM families accessing CPC.