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Cultural and religious diversity in Hospice and Palliative care: A qualitative cross-country comparative analysis of the challenges of healthcare professionals

Cultural and religious diversity in Hospice and Palliative care: A qualitative cross-country comparative analysis of the challenges of healthcare professionals

Pentaris, Panagiotis ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5593-8555 and Thomsen, Louise L. (2018) Cultural and religious diversity in Hospice and Palliative care: A qualitative cross-country comparative analysis of the challenges of healthcare professionals. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 81 (4). pp. 648-669. ISSN 0030-2228 (Print), 1541-3764 (Online) (doi:10.1177/0030222818795282)

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Abstract

Background:
Research has abundantly demonstrated a strong relationship between culture, religion and the experiences of death, dying, and bereavement. Consequently, cultural competence and a religiously sensitive practice have become highly relevant to social policies and professional practice. However, our current knowledge of culturally competent and religiously sensitive end of life care is primarily context specific, with little space for generalizability.

Methods:
This paper reports on findings from a qualitative comparative analysis of two nation specific studies that examined religious literacy and cultural competency, respectively, among palliative care professionals, drawing on similarities and attempting to identify further applicability of nation centred knowledge.

Results:
The study recognised six practice-based approaches in palliative and hospice care, when responding to cultural and religious or nonreligious identities of services users. These approaches intersect with each other via three organisational layers identified in the study; foundations, culture and professionals.

Conclusions:
Each identified practice-based approach seems to be incomplete when working with individuals for whom religion, belief and cultural identities are important. Change in practice is possible if all three organisational layers are considered simultaneously, while further research will shed more light about the benefits and challenges of each approach.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: death; dying; cross-country; cultural sensitivity; religious literacy
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion
H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences
Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Health & Society Research Group
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences > Centre for Applied Sociology Research (CASR)
Last Modified: 04 Aug 2020 09:29
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/21308

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