Advance care planning for Maori, Pacific and Asian people: the views of New Zealand healthcare professionals

Despite the benefits of advance care planning (ACP), international research has suggested that in pluralistic and multicultural societies such as New Zealand, significant differences exist in the uptake of ACP between European-based populations and other cultural groups [Crawley (2005)]. The purpose of this study was to therefore explore the views of generalist palliative care providers in both the community and hospital settings regarding the barriers to ACP adoption as well as methods to increase knowledge about ACP among Maori, Pacific and Asian cultural groups within New Zealand society. Eleven individual interviews, two joint interviews and three focus groups were conducted with health and social care professionals with a wide range of knowledge and experience in palliative care. Challenges were related to a number of issues based on culture, including family decision-making style, a need to 'do everything' and a reluctance to discuss issues surrounding dying and death. Suggestions to increase the knowledge of ACP included techniques to improve information access and the utilisation of shared norms and values to assist with discussions between Maori, Pacific and Asian health professionals and their patients and families/whanau. Findings indicate a need for more family/whanau-centred models of ACP, addressed much earlier in the healthcare process and within the community setting.