Assessment of patient satisfaction in a language-concordant palliative cancer care program in a resource- limited setting: A cross-sectional study

Background Palliative care is an essential component of healthcare delivery, but language barriers to receiving care are a significant concern in culturally diverse regions. We evaluate the patient satisfaction of our language-concordant palliative program in a resource-limited setting. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional single-center study among adult patients receiving palliative care in Apurimac, Peru. Patients were divided into Quechua and Spanish speakers based on their self-reported language proficiency. Results Of the 190 enrolled patients, the median age of the entire cohort was 63 years (range 18–94) with a female predominance (59%). About 45% of the participants were Quechua speakers, while 55% were Spanish speakers. Quechua speakers were generally older (P < 0.001) and did not receive any education (P < 0.001). Patient satisfaction did not differ between the two groups in multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses. Conclusions Our findings suggest that a language-concordant palliative care program may decrease language barriers in culturally diverse settings. Further randomized studies should evaluate the efficacy of this intervention in other settings.