Pittsburgh DOULA-AC Program: End of Life Care Reimagined for the Black Community

Researchers at Pitt propose the development, implementation, and evaluation of an End of Life (EOL) doula program known as "Dignity, Legacy, Advocacy, and Support for Individuals with Advanced Cancer (DouLAS-AC): A New Model for End-of-Life Care in the Black Community."

Description

There is need for innovative and culturally tailored supportive care at the end of life for Black patients with serious, life-limiting illnesses like metastatic cancer. It is acknowledged that there is unequal access to and acceptance of palliative care and hospice services across different communities, with Black patients historically being reluctant to utilize traditional palliative care and hospice services. There is a requirement for new paradigms of supportive care to meet the end-of-life care needs of Black populations, as they need more culturally tailored support than what is traditionally available from the cancer care delivery system.

Applications

- End of life care for Black patients

Advantages

The innovative DouLAS-AC program will be developed in collaboration with Black community advocates, the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA), experts in social work, metastatic cancer, and supportive care. It aims to extend and reimagine supportive care at the end of life in the Black community. The program's features include providing a community-based trained companion, offering support for practical needs of the illness, and providing support and connection for the bereaved family and community.

Invention Readiness

This technology is at the design level. This program aims to provide a trained companion to support the patient with advanced cancer, help them explore meaning and create a legacy, offer practical assistance for their illness-related needs such as financial assistance for food and housing, accessing and affording medications, and transportation. Additionally, the program seeks to provide support and connection for the bereaved family and friends and the community, facilitating connections for routine grief acknowledgment, health screenings, and access to mental health services as needed.

IP Status

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