Open AccessCultural Responsiveness and Palliative Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Author(s) -
Arika Patneaude,
Jennifer Kett
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
palliative medicine reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2689-2820
DOI - 10.1089/pmr.2020.0049
Subject(s) - pandemic , covid-19 , palliative care , health care , psychology , new normal , medicine , political science , nursing , virology , law , disease , pathology , outbreak , infectious disease (medical specialty)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, much has changed in the delivery of palliative care (PC). However, cultural responsiveness remains critical to our mission. It is essential to our aims of identifying individual goals of care and providing relief of suffering for our patients. Cultural responsiveness may also enhance trust and could be a mitigating factor in the staggering health care disparities unmasked during this pandemic. In this study, the authors outline the rationale for renewed focus on this issue, and offer some initial suggestions for how culturally responsive PC can be provided even in this extraordinary time.