Other Titles
Rising Star Poster/Presentation
Abstract
Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanic people, accounting for 20% of deaths (American Cancer Society, 2023). In 2024, the American Cancer Society predicted that 195,300 Hispanics would be diagnosed with cancer in the United States, and 50,400 (25%) would die from their disease, leaving approximately 144,900 (75%) living with cancer. As the Hispanic population rises in the United States, one can predict that cancer diagnoses will also increase. This is likely to result in a higher number of cancer-related deaths, as well as more individuals living with cancer. Consequently, there will be an increased demand for palliative care services. This highlights the importance of educating and training healthcare providers to properly care for the increased number of Hispanic individuals with cancer who will benefit from palliative care.
Purpose: To explore the knowledge and perceptions of Hispanic individuals with cancer and their caregivers about palliative care post-consultation or follow up.
Specific Aims: 1. To examine palliative care perceptions of Hispanic individuals with cancer and their caregivers; 2. To explore the dynamics between Hispanic individuals with cancer and their caregivers when discussing palliative care in Spanish and their perspectives; and 3. To examine the role of language in the understanding and acceptance of palliative care for Hispanic people with cancer and their caregivers.
Methods: Focused ethnography approach: First-time palliative care consultation or follow up and post-consultation or follow up semi-structured dyadic interviews of inpatient or outpatient Hispanic and Spanish-speaking adult oncology patients and their primary caregiver from an academic medical center in the Bronx, NY. This will be done until data saturation is reached, which will determine the sample size.
Data to be collected: Demographic characteristics. Data analysis will begin with the first interview and continue until data saturation is reached. I will use NVivo to organize, visualize, and analyze the data. The following systematic approach for analyzing the data will be utilized:
1. coding the data,
2. grouping patterns,
3. identifying outliers,
4. generalizing themes and sub/themes, and
5. reflective remarks.
An additional approach in the data analysis process that will be implemented to ensure credibility and validity will be to have my chair, a qualitative expert, and a Spanish-speaking committee member review my themes and subthemes.
Notes
Extensive reference list included as separate file.
Sigma Membership
Delta Zeta, Omega Delta
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Ethnography
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Palliative Care, Hispanic Americans, Cancer Patients, Communication, Communication Barriers, Health Knowledge--Evaluation
Recommended Citation
McNulty, Carla and Finlayson, Catherine, "Rompiendo Fronteras: Addressing Language Barriers in Hispanic Palliative Cancer Care" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 139.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/posters_2026/139
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Invited Presentation
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-10-01
Rompiendo Fronteras: Addressing Language Barriers in Hispanic Palliative Cancer Care
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanic people, accounting for 20% of deaths (American Cancer Society, 2023). In 2024, the American Cancer Society predicted that 195,300 Hispanics would be diagnosed with cancer in the United States, and 50,400 (25%) would die from their disease, leaving approximately 144,900 (75%) living with cancer. As the Hispanic population rises in the United States, one can predict that cancer diagnoses will also increase. This is likely to result in a higher number of cancer-related deaths, as well as more individuals living with cancer. Consequently, there will be an increased demand for palliative care services. This highlights the importance of educating and training healthcare providers to properly care for the increased number of Hispanic individuals with cancer who will benefit from palliative care.
Purpose: To explore the knowledge and perceptions of Hispanic individuals with cancer and their caregivers about palliative care post-consultation or follow up.
Specific Aims: 1. To examine palliative care perceptions of Hispanic individuals with cancer and their caregivers; 2. To explore the dynamics between Hispanic individuals with cancer and their caregivers when discussing palliative care in Spanish and their perspectives; and 3. To examine the role of language in the understanding and acceptance of palliative care for Hispanic people with cancer and their caregivers.
Methods: Focused ethnography approach: First-time palliative care consultation or follow up and post-consultation or follow up semi-structured dyadic interviews of inpatient or outpatient Hispanic and Spanish-speaking adult oncology patients and their primary caregiver from an academic medical center in the Bronx, NY. This will be done until data saturation is reached, which will determine the sample size.
Data to be collected: Demographic characteristics. Data analysis will begin with the first interview and continue until data saturation is reached. I will use NVivo to organize, visualize, and analyze the data. The following systematic approach for analyzing the data will be utilized:
1. coding the data,
2. grouping patterns,
3. identifying outliers,
4. generalizing themes and sub/themes, and
5. reflective remarks.
An additional approach in the data analysis process that will be implemented to ensure credibility and validity will be to have my chair, a qualitative expert, and a Spanish-speaking committee member review my themes and subthemes.
Description
Cancer remains the leading cause of death among Hispanic individuals in the U.S., and rising population trends are expected to increase diagnoses and palliative care needs. This study explores Hispanic cancer patients’ and caregivers’ knowledge and perceptions of palliative care after consultation using focused ethnography. Semi structured dyadic interviews will be conducted until data saturation, with NVivo used for systematic qualitative analysis.