Acute Medicine | Palliative care | Individual preferences and cultural influences on symptom management

Individual preferences and cultural influences on symptom management
Session overview
Description
This session discusses the role of cultural influences and patients’ individual preferences on symptom management and care plans.

This session was reviewed by Zoebia Islam and Sarah Hanrott and last updated in April 2023.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• explain the importance of ensuring that a patient approaching the end of life is offered sufficient information, at an appropriate level, to be involved in decision making about their symptom management and care plan and has the opportunity to express their preferences
• recognise how cultural background influences the individual’s approach to progressive illness/end of life, the meaning of symptoms for the patient and ways in which these may impact on management of symptoms and care
• recognise the influence of one’s own personal beliefs and attitudes when deciding and negotiating plans for care and symptom management

A key principle of symptom management is that the goals, needs and priorities of the patient are ascertained, empowering the patient to make choices or be involved in decision making about their care management, if they wish.

These individual preferences are influenced by many factors, including cultural differences.

Culture may be defined as a shared, learned system of values, beliefs and attitudes which shapes and influences perception and behaviour. Culture is influenced by many things including ethnic, religious or social group, length of time in an adopted country, employment, education etc.

This session discusses the role of cultural influences on patients’ and their families’ approach to dying, the meaning given to symptoms, their attitude to professionals and services and the effect on the individual’s preferences about symptom management and care plans when facing the end of life.