Nonwhite ethnicity and the provision of specialist palliative care services: factors affecting doctors' referral patterns

Citation
K. Karim et al., Nonwhite ethnicity and the provision of specialist palliative care services: factors affecting doctors' referral patterns, PALLIAT MED, 14(6), 2000, pp. 471-478
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Health Care Sciences & Services
Journal title
PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
ISSN journal
02692163 → ACNP
Volume
14
Issue
6
Year of publication
2000
Pages
471 - 478
Database
ISI
SICI code
0269-2163(200011)14:6<471:NEATPO>2.0.ZU;2-R
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to examine the use of palliative care services by members of black/minority ethnic communities. Referral patterns of hospita l consultants and general practitioners (GPs) to Birmingham St Mary's Hospi ce were examined. Semistructured interviews were carried out to explore doc tors' perceptions of the benefits and limitations of hospice services for t heir black/minority ethnic patients and to identify potential barriers to r eferral. in total, 27 doctors were interviewed: 15 hospital consultants and 12 GP. The GPs were selected according to size of practice within areas of Birmingham with significant black/minority ethnic populations. Referrals r eceived by the hospice for the period April 1996 to November 1997 were coll ected from the Hospice's computerized database. Results show that, compared to white Europeans, there was an underutilization of day care and inpatien t hospice services by members of black/minority ethnic communities. Doctors did, however, refer their black/minority ethnic patients for hospice home- care services: 8.5% of referrals received by the hospice were for nonwhite patients. This referral rate increased to 19.3% in specific postcode areas known to have significant black/minority ethnic communities. Further resear ch is needed to establish levels of awareness, explore attitudes towards pa lliative care services and assess the demand for specific services within v arious black/minority ethnic communities.