Cancer and minority ethnic groups: factors likely to improve nurse-patient communication and facilitate the delivery of sensitive care

In recent years there has been an increasing focus on the health needs of the UK's minority communities. The main findings arising from the literature are that these groups have poorer experiences and care in the health-care system than the white community. This has resulted in under-use of services by minority groups in an attempt to avoid inappropriate and insensitive care, as well as institutional racism. In analysing these problems closely, it appears that difficulties arise essentially from communication failures rather than through deliberate neglect or malevolence. This paper focuses on culturally-based variables that are known to impair the communication process. It is argued that knowledge of these can help nurses to communicate more effectively with cancer patients from minority groups and this, in turn, should ensure that nursing care is delivered in a more sensitive manner.