Healing relationships between patients from visible minority groups and their
clinicians in palliative care: Protocol for an interpretive description study
#MMPMID41340870
Wassef K
; Rodríguez C
; Thorne S
; Sanders JJ
Palliat Care Soc Pract
2025[]; 19
(?): 26323524251399231
PMID41340870
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BACKGROUND: Palliative care supports human dignity across the trajectory of a
serious illness. In addition to addressing multiple dimensions of suffering among
patients, palliative care aims to foster healing-a relational process through
which one experiences personal growth and transcendence. Palliative care
clinicians build relationships with patients through communication practices that
enhance trust and other relational elements. These relationships hold the
potential to mitigate patient suffering. However, patients from visible minority
groups may face structural barriers and clinician biases that impede the
formation of healing-oriented relationships. We know little about their
experiences of relationships in this setting. OBJECTIVES: To examine the
qualities of healing clinician-patient relationships from the perspective of
visible minority patients receiving outpatient palliative care. DESIGN:
Interpretive description. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will recruit 10-15 patients
who identify themselves as being part of a visible minority group and have had at
least two outpatient palliative care visits. We will conduct semi-structured
in-depth individual interviews and analyze these based on deductive-inductive
thematic analysis initially grounded in current evidence. We will identify
relational elements that patients value and that promote positive connections
with clinicians. We will produce a rich description of "healing" and understand
the role of relationships in healing. ETHICS: We have obtained institutional
ethics board approval to conduct this study. DISCUSSION: Relationships may
alleviate patient suffering and promote healing even in settings of serious
illness. Clinicians should attend to nurturing meaningful relationships with
patients from visible minority groups who face additional challenges beyond those
brought by a serious illness. Our findings may inform clinical training programs
that promote relationship-building behaviors. Efforts to promote higher quality
relationships with these patient groups may improve their overall quality of care
and address inequities in palliative care.
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