Cancer patients' insights and experience of palliative and supportive care in the UAE: a qualitative study

The increasing prevalence of advanced cancer cases requiring palliative care highlights the growing need for palliative care as an essential component of comprehensive cancer management. However, despite rising global demand, awareness, access, and integration remain inadequately understood, particularly in rapidly developing and culturally diverse contexts such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Insights from such settings can enhance understanding of how palliative care is delivered, perceived, and adapted across diverse populations.

This qualitative descriptive study explored the experiences and perceptions of cancer patients and their caregivers regarding palliative and supportive care services in a major oncology healthcare setting in the UAE. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants at the Burjeel Cancer Institute in Abu Dhabi. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Five interrelated themes were identified: "Awareness and Understanding of Palliative Care," "Balancing Pain Relief and Medication Concerns," "Cultural Expectations and Financial Considerations," "Navigating the Palliative Care Experience," and "Voices for Change: Improving Palliative Care." Findings revealed a general lack of initial awareness about palliative care, with understanding often developing only after engagement with services. Challenges included communication difficulties, language barriers, and limited access to care outside the hospital setting. Cultural beliefs and family dynamics influenced decision-making, while insurance coverage played a key role in facilitating access. Despite these challenges, participants reported generally positive experiences with multidisciplinary care and symptom management.

This study contributes to the international literature by providing novel insights into palliative care delivery within a multicultural, high-resource yet culturally complex healthcare system. The findings highlight the need for enhanced public awareness, improved provider-patient communication, and stronger integration of palliative care within cancer services. Although limited by a small sample size and single-institution setting, the study offers transferable lessons for similar contexts. Further multicenter research is recommended to inform national-level strategies and improve equitable access to palliative care in the UAE.