This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Karim, K. Articles by Tunna, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Karim, K. Articles by Tunna, K. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

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

Maria Bailey

Birmingham St Mary's Hospice, Birmingham

Kate Tunna

The aim of this paper was to examine the use of palliative care services by members of black/minority ethnic communities. Referral patterns of hospital consultants and general practitioners (GPs) to Birmingham St Mary's Hospice were examined. Semistructured interviews were carried out to explore doctors' perceptions of the benefits and limitations of hospice services for their black/minority ethnic patients and to identify potential barriers to referral. 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 received by the hospice for the period April 1996 to November 1997 were collected from the Hospice's computerized database. Results show that, compared to white Europeans, there was an underutilization of day care and inpatient 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 research is needed to establish levels of awareness, explore attitudes towards palliative care services and assess the demand for specific services within various black/minority ethnic communities.

Key Words: black/minority ethnic groups • hospice • palliative care services • referral • underutilization

Palliative Medicine, Vol. 14, No. 6, 471-478 (2000)
DOI: 10.1191/026921600701536390


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Worth, T. Irshad, R. Bhopal, D. Brown, J. Lawton, E. Grant, S. Murray, M. Kendall, J. Adam, R. Gardee, et al. Vulnerability and access to care for South Asian Sikh and Muslim patients with life limiting illness in Scotland: prospective longitudinal qualitative study BMJ, February 3, 2009; 338(feb03_1): b183 - b183. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Koffman, G. Burke, A. Dias, B. Raval, J. Byrne, J. Gonzales, and C. Daniels Demographic factors and awareness of palliative care and related services Palliative Medicine, March 1, 2007; 21(2): 145 - 153. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Firth Diversities in approach to end-of-life care Journal of Research in Nursing, July 1, 2005; 10(4): 455 - 457. [PDF]

				N Ahmed, J E Bestall, S H Ahmedzai, S A Payne, D Clark, and B Noble Systematic review of the problems and issues of accessing specialist palliative care by patients, carers and health and social care professionals Palliative Medicine, September 1, 2004; 18(6): 525 - 542. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. Lyke and M. Colon Practical recommendations for ethnically and racially sensitive hospice services American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, March 1, 2004; 21(2): 131 - 133. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Colon and J. Lyke Comparison of hospice use and demographics among European Americans, African Americans, and Latinos American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, May 1, 2003; 20(3): 182 - 190. [Abstract] [PDF]