Communicating with patients from minority backgrounds: Individual challenges experienced by oncology health professionals

Watts, Kaaren; Meiser, Bettina; Zilliacus, Elvira; Kaur, Rajneesh; Taouk, M.; Girgis, Afaf; Butow, Phyllis; Goldstein, David; Hale, Sandra; Perry, Astrid; Aranda, Sanchia; Kissane, David W.

doi:10.1016/j.ejon.2016.12.001

Cited by 30 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…the language barrier and low health literacy, cultural taboo, and lack of insight into patients' needs, correspond with findings of previous studies (Watts et al 2017). For instance, Watts et al (2017) showed that professionals often feel uncertain, especially when dealing with Muslim patients, because they lack both information about and understanding of this group of patients, and because they experience cultural and linguistic differences. In our study, however, professionals frequently attributed the barriers to fulfilling patients'/survivors' instrumental needs solely to the patients' family members.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Enhancing patient participation of older migrant cancer patients: needs, barriers, and eHealth

et al. 2020

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Enhancing patient participation of older migrant cancer patients: needs, barriers, and eHealth

et al. 2020

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“…The considerable risk with migrant patients was that differences effectively reduced time committed to everyday conversations, adding an additional layer of distance and potential misunderstandings or disjunctions. In combination with the importance of awareness of participants’ own biographies, the focus groups emphasised the potency of engaging in the seemingly mundane act of spending time with patients for fostering mutual understanding and respect 34 35. This helped professionals facilitate a better understanding of the layering of complexity outlined above, enabled them to see their own contributions to the production of ‘otherness’, and to reconcile some disjunctions between institutional demands, professional ethics and individualised preference 18 33 36…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A qualitative study of cancer care professionals’ experiences of working with migrant patients from diverse cultural backgrounds

et al. 2019

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ObjectivesTo improve the experiences of people from diverse cultural backgrounds, there has been an increased emphasis on strengthening cultural awareness and competence in healthcare contexts. The aim of this focus-group based study was to explore how professionals in cancer care experience their encounters with migrant cancer patients with a focus on how they work with cultural diversity in their everyday practice, and the personal, interpersonal and institutional dimensions therein.DesignThis paper draws on qualitative data from eight focus groups held in three local health districts in major metropolitan areas of Australia. Participants were health professionals (n=57) working with migrants in cancer care, including multicultural community workers, allied health workers, doctors and nurses. Focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed in full. Data were analysed using the framework approach and supported by NVivo V.11 qualitative data analysis software.ResultsFour findings were derived from the analysis: (1) culture as merely one aspect of complex personhood; (2) managing culture at the intersection of institutional, professional and personal values; (3) balancing professional values with patient values and beliefs, and building trust and respect; and (4) the importance of time and everyday relations for generating understanding and intimacy, and for achieving culturally competent care.ConclusionsThe findings reveal: how culture is often misconstrued as manageable in isolation; the importance of a renewed emphasis on culture as interpersonalandinstitutional in character; and the importance of prioritising the development of quality relationships requiring additional time and resource investments in migrant patients for enacting effective intercultural care.

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“…Ongoing clinician training is also suggested as one way to ensure health care professionals remain cognizant of the unmet information needs of their cultural minority patients. Such education would ideally include not only cultural awareness training but also skills to recognize limitations in their communications with culturally diverse patients and how that may contribute to barriers to patient engagement . Enhancing the quality of interpretation services should also be viewed as a priority for service refinement.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chinese‐Australian women with breast cancer call for culturally appropriate information and improved communication with health professionals

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et al. 2019

Cancer Reports

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Background: For culturally and linguistically diverse patients, breast cancer presents complex physical, psychosocial, and health care challenges, often exacerbated by a lack of culturally appropriate information and communication barriers with the treating team (even with the help of interpreters).Aim: This qualitative study aims to broadly explore the experience of breast cancer and coping strategies utilized by Chinese-Australian women.Methods and results: Twenty-four Chinese-Australian women with breast cancer participated in either a semi-structured interview or a focus group conducted in participants' preferred language, audio-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis. Two prominent themes emerged, related to information seeking, and communication with health care professionals. The theme of information needs and seeking highlighted unmet information needs and the multiple sources that are consulted for information. The second theme, communication with health care professionals, language barriers, and preferences, identified varying degrees of involvement in treatment decision-making, preference for information and interactions in Cantonese or Mandarin, and problems with interpreter services.Conclusion: Chinese women with breast cancer face significant challenges in obtaining adequate information and can feel excluded from treatment decision-making. Women in this study expressed their eagerness for obtaining accurate information and engaging in open communication with their doctors. There is a need for culturally sensitive information resources and decision aids to enhance communication between Chinese migrant patients with cancer and health care professionals. Clinician participation in cultural awareness training is also recommended.

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Communicating with patients from minority backgrounds: Individual challenges experienced by oncology health professionals

Cited by 30 publications

References 22 publications

Enhancing patient participation of older migrant cancer patients: needs, barriers, and eHealth

Enhancing patient participation of older migrant cancer patients: needs, barriers, and eHealth

A qualitative study of cancer care professionals’ experiences of working with migrant patients from diverse cultural backgrounds

Chinese‐Australian women with breast cancer call for culturally appropriate information and improved communication with health professionals

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