Cultural sensitivity in end-of-life discussions.

Cultural origins influence the way patients and health care providers think about care and treatment at the end-of-life. With increasing ethnic diversity there is greater chance that clinical encounters will occur between individuals of different backgrounds, therefore there is greater risk of misunderstanding. Health care providers should be mindful of cultural differences when informing patients, discussing advance care planning, responding to requests for assistance in dying, and responding to requests for limiting treatment.