Integrating Culturally Competent Advance Care Planning for Korean Immigrants: An Integrative Review

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Cultural Competence in Healthcare
• End-of-Life Care

Background:

• Advance care planning (ACP) is crucial for end-of-life (EOL) care.
• Korean immigrants (KIs) face unique challenges in accessing and utilizing healthcare services.
• Understanding cultural nuances is essential for effective healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature on current ACP utilization among Korean immigrants (KIs).
• To identify health disparities related to ACP and EOL care for KIs.
• To determine evidence-based best practices for culturally competent ACP integration for KIs' EOL care.

Main Methods:

• Systematic integrative literature review.
• Searched four electronic databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Embase.
• Utilized MeSH keywords and associated terms for comprehensive search strategy.

Main Results:

• Three emergent themes: cultural characteristics of KIs, disparities in ethnic-oriented ACP and EOL care resources, and KIs' perspectives on ACP.
• Culturally competent ACP resources for KIs are currently insufficient.
• Significant gaps exist in culturally tailored ACP and EOL care resources for KIs.

Conclusions:

• Culturally competent ACP for Korean immigrants (KIs) is insufficient.
• Further research is needed to enhance ACP quality for KIs' EOL care.
• Developing feasible, culturally competent practice guidelines can reduce health disparities and promote ACP.