Speaking Compassionately with Seriously Ill Chinese Immigrants and Their Caregivers (仁医仁语)

The limited evidence describing the quality of Chinese patients’ care during serious illness reveals significant inequities. Palliative care may be uniquely positioned to address these health disparities, because it aims to provide “active holistic care of individuals across all ages with serious health-related suffering due to severe illness and especially of those near the end-of-life.” While growing research points to the benefit of palliative care during serious illness, including improved quality of life, care satisfaction, and care outcomes, its role among marginalized, minoritized, and racialized communities is unknown. The overall purpose of this research plan is to better understand the perceived role and lived experiences of palliative care among Chinese patients through a combination of recorded naturally-occurring conversations and in-depth interviews. The generated data will be used to develop a culturally-tailored communication intervention to improve seriously ill Chinese patients’ and their caregivers’ engagement and satisfaction with palliative care.