Key Topics on End-of-Life Care for African Americans

An intellectual discourse derived from The Last Miles of the Way Home 2004 National Conference to Improve End-of-Life Care for African Americans

ABSTRACT: African American Perspectives on Pain and Palliative Care   [Print Version]

LaVera Crawley, MD
Stanford University School of Medicine
Oakland , CA

And

Richard Payne, MD
Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life
Duke Divinity School
Durham, NC

African American opinions about end-of-life care and decision making are shaped by contrasting views. On the one hand, African American religious and literary traditions celebrate a traditional Christian view of death as a welcomed friend. On the other hand, many African Americans struggle with the acceptance of high death rates resulting from the impact of disparities in health outcomes and insistent on life-prolonging treatments often are against the advice and wishes of their doctors. The impact of racially and socio-economically-based health inequalities, lead to considerations of the trustworthiness of the health care system, which can influence end of life decision making for African Americans. Community-based initiatives in palliative and hospice care are described which acknowledge these important perspectives, and offer models for improving access to care and the quality of end of life care.

In Collaboration With:
Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life
Initiative to Improve Palliative Care for African Americans (IIPCA)