GLOBAL AND CROSS-CULTURAL PALLIATIVE CARE INITIATIVE
Inequities in palliative care access and delivery affect culturally diverse and resource-constrained communities, locally and globally. Structural and sociocultural barriers contribute to significant disparities in the outcomes of care including lower hospice and palliative care utilization and unnecessary distress and suffering. Such barriers include;
- Unequal distribution and access to opioids and pain relief
- Limited palliative care workforce training and capacity
- Inadequate culturally responsive interventions and communication skills
- Lack of integration of palliative care services into routine healthcare
Context appropriate, culturally aligned and community-centered approaches are essential for the delivery of high-quality and equitable palliative care with underserved communities.
The Global & Cross-Cultural Palliative Care Initiative’s goal is to strengthen a diverse, interdisciplinary network to support research collaboration and dissemination; educational programming; clinical innovations; and community-centered partnership and advocacy efforts.
To learn more about our work or join our community of practice, contact us at globalpallcare@uw.edu.
Initiative Leadership
- Nauzley C. Abedini, MD
- Kuang-Ning Huang, MD MPH
- Michael Light, LICSW MPH
- Jody Waldron, MD