Background
Uptake of advance care planning (ACP) is lower among people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds compared to the general population. Despite a large number of resources seeking to promote ACP uptake in multicultural communities, low clinician and interpreter confidence in collaboration around ACP remains a barrier. This research aimed to co-design interprofessional collaboration intervention to improve uptake of ACP with people from CALD backgrounds with cancer.
Methods:
Co-design was conducted in two phases. Phase 1: factors contributing to low ACP uptake were explored through qualitative data from 31 participants (cancer/palliative service staff and interpreters) and analysis of 31 documents that aimed to promote ACP among people from CALD backgrounds. Phase 2: a series of three co-design workshops were conducted with 10 co-design members (clinicians, interpreters, consumers and managers). External expert and cancer system leader consultation were integrated in the co-design process. Workshops were co-facilitated with a consumer co-facilitator and underpinned by an implementation science framework.
Results:
Through the co-design process, absence of opportunities for interprofessional collaboration between interpreters and clinicians was identified as a key factor contributing to low uptake of ACP among CALD communities affected by cancer. Setting this as a scope, the co-design team developed a program that consisted of three elements to foster interprofessional collaboration. The three elements are interprofessional education in ACP, briefing and de-briefing and facilitated feedback. The resulting iCanPlan program offers flexibility to cancer services to select the elements that suit their local needs and provide implementation considerations to integrate the program in their workflows.
Conclusion
By providing opportunities for clinicians and interpreters to work as partners in healthcare provision along with patients and families, iCanPlan seeks to increase confidence in conducting ACP, lead to greater ACP uptake and ultimately enhanced patient-centric care. Piot testing of will commence at three sites in 2025.