Adapting Advance Care Planning Interventions for Hispanic Communities Across the U.S.
Heather J Costigan, Erika VanDyke, William A Calo and 2 others
PMID 39700514WHAT IT FOUND
Certified translation alone failed to adapt advance care planning tools for diverse Hispanic communities due to dialect differences.
Adding Spanish-speaking staff resolved engagement barriers, while RSVP systems proved culturally incompatible and were retained despite host resistance.
Key findings
01Professionally translated materials contained confusing terminology and dialect-specific errors that required reactive, fidelity-consistent modifications to be usable.
02The absence of Spanish-speaking research assistants created a significant barrier to trust and engagement, which was resolved by hiring bilingual staff to lead events.
03Hosts reported that RSVP systems are not culturally normative in Hispanic communities, but the research team declined to modify this protocol requirement due to cost and logistical constraints.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Small sample size of interviewed hosts and research assistants. Qualitative design prevents systematic pre- and post-assessment of modifications from the same host. Participants were limited to hosts and research assistants; patient perspectives were not included in this specific analysis. The study describes implementation challenges and adaptations, not the efficacy of the interventions themselves.
Declared interests
The Principal Investigator is an unpaid scientific advisor for Common Practice, LLC, the company that designed the Hello game intervention. The study is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that the advance care planning interventions improved patient outcomes or completed directives. This paper reports on the implementation process and barriers to delivery, not on the clinical efficacy of the interventions.