Improving cancer outcomes through equity: Interventions tailored for Hispanic families.

Abstract

e13556 Background: People of Hispanic and Latino/a/x ethnicity (collectively referred to here as “Hispanic”) who are living with cancer and other serious illnesses experience well-documented inequities in care, including poorer pain and symptom management compared to White patients. To identify what has been shown to improve these outcomes, we conducted a systematic literature review to inventory, describe, and categorize health care interventions that have been tested to enhance the care experiences of Hispanic patients with cancer and their family caregivers. Methods: We conducted a targeted literature search using (a) PubMed for peer-reviewed studies and (b) gray literature sources, including news reports, organizational publications, and dissertation archives. The PubMed strategy combined three concept areas: (1) cancer and serious illness; (2) Hispanic or Latino/a/x populations; and (3) domains of the care experience, such as symptom burden, psychosocial needs, communication, and caregiver support. Additional eligible studies were identified through PubMed’s “Similar Articles” and “Cited By” features. Interventions were excluded if they were implemented outside the United States or if they targeted individuals without a current cancer or serious illness diagnosis (e.g., advance care planning interventions for healthy older adults). For all included studies, we extracted data on study design, sample size, clinical setting, population characteristics, and reported outcomes. Descriptive statistics were generated to summarize the scope and features of the interventions. Results: We identified 70 interventions aimed at improving the care experience for Hispanic patients living with serious illness. Nearly half (40%) were developed specifically for patients with cancer or their caregivers. These interventions have been implemented across diverse clinical sites in the United States, with two designed exclusively for pediatric oncology populations. Across the intervention landscape, we found efforts targeting 14 distinct domains of need, with the largest proportion focused on reducing caregiver burden (29%) and improving patient symptom management. Common intervention strategies included culturally tailored educational or outreach materials, provision of structured psychosocial support, and incorporation of bilingual clinicians or trained medical interpreters to strengthen communication and care coordination. Conclusions: Efforts to enhance care quality for this population are underway nationwide, with the most commonly targeted areas being caregiver burden and patient physical distress. Oncology leaders and policymakers should prioritize adapting and disseminating proven interventions to meet the needs of their local Hispanic patient populations.