Interventions for End of Life Decision Making for Patients with Limited English Proficiency

BACKGROUND: Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) experience disparities in end-of-life decision making and advance care planning. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review to assess the literature about interventions addressing these issues. METHODS: Our search strategy was built around end-of-life (EOL), LEP, ACP, and goals of care. The databases included Ovid MEDLINE(R), and Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily from 1946 to November 9, 2018, Ovid EMBASE. RESULTS: Eight studies from the US and Australia were included (7 studies in Spanish and 1 study in Greek and Italian). Interventions used trained personnel, video images, web-based programs, and written materials. Interventions were associated with increased advance directive completion and decreased preferences for some life-prolonging treatments. Interventions were deemed to be feasible and acceptable. CONCLUSION: Few interventions exist to improve end-of-life care for patients with LEP. Data are limited regarding intervention effectiveness.