In the United States (US), the underutilization of hospice resources by Asian Americans is evident in the low rates of hospice enrollment, 2.4%, where they comprise 5.6% of the US population. The low utilization of end-of-life (EOL) services has been associated with increased deaths in hospitals and increased costs to Medicare, revealing a significant health disparity within the Asian American community.Chinese Americans represent the largest subgroup of Asian Americans with a population of 4.5 million in the US. Seminal studies on Chinese American Seniors EOL have accentuated the taboo nature of the topic, and recommended health care professionals to prevaricate EOL discussions to promote cultural sensitivity. In contrast, recent findings in literature suggests Chinese American Seniors’ lack of knowledge as a main contributor to the underutilization of EOL resources. A pilot study using semi-structured interviews was conducted to understand the preferences and EOL decision-making processes of Chinese American Seniors. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory methodology, data from the interviews was analyzed in an iterative process to reveal the emergent themes of trust / distrust towards health care professionals and health care systems, the role of religion in decision-making, and protecting the family. Synthesis of the findings reveal the role of health care professionals in bridging barriers to EOL decision-making among Chinese American Seniors.
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