THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN PAIN AND PALLIATIVE CARE

Course overview

MANAGING PAIN IS OFTEN A CHALLENGE FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. THIS IS COMPOUNDED WHEN THE PATIENT IN PAIN IS DYING. LIVING IN AN ETHNICALLY AND CULTURALLY DIVERSE SOCIETY REQUIRES HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TO RESPECT AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE PARTICULAR CULTURES FROM WHICH THEIR PATIENTS COME. HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND TEAMS WHO LEARN THE NUANCES OF CULTURE ARE REWARDED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THEY HAVE BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE IN MANAGING THEIR PATIENTS' PAIN. ALSO, THEY ARE BETTER ABLE TO HELP THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THEIR PATIENTS ADJUST TO THE DYING PROCESS. KEEPING IN MIND THE BELIEFS, EXPERIENCES, AND VALUES OF THE PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF THE MEDICAL CARE PROVIDED. PAIN IS PERCEIVED BY THE PATIENT AND CAN ONLY BE REPORTED BY THE PATIENT. PAIN IS, THEREFORE SUBJECTIVE, AND, DEPENDING ON THE VERBAL SKILLS OF THE PATIENT, CAN BE DIFFICULT TO DESCRIBE. PUTTING PAIN INTO WORDS REQUIRES A DEGREE OF SELF-AWARENESS AND IS COLORED BY THE CULTURAL BACKGROUND OF THE PATIENT. PAIN IS A COMMON SYMPTOM OF MANY DISEASES AND IS OFTEN EXPERIENCED AT THE END OF LIFE. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN AS MUCH AS HALF OF THOSE DYING EXPERIENCE MODERATE TO SEVERE PAIN IN THE FINAL MONTHS OF LIFE. FOR THE HEALTH PRACTITIONER, THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF FREQUENT PAIN ASSESSMENT, PAIN MANAGEMENT, AND ADJUSTMENT OF PAIN MEDICATIONS. PALLIATIVE CARE RELIEVES SUFFERING IN PATIENTS WITH LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESSES AND MAXIMIZES THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. PALLIATIVE CARE MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THOSE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER, DEGENERATIVE NEUROLOGIC DISEASES, PAINFUL NEUROLOGIC DISEASES, AND THOSE DIAGNOSED WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE TO RELIEVE SYMPTOMS OF BREATHLESSNESS. HOSPICE OR END-OF-LIFE PALLIATIVE CARE IS OFTEN PROVIDED TO DYING PATIENTS, PARTICULARLY DURING THE FINAL MONTHS OF LIFE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION OF PAIN AND PALLIATIVE CARE IN A CULTURALLY SENSITIVE MANNER. IT HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PAIN AND PALLIATION IN THIS SETTING.