Models of palliative care for culturally and linguistically diverse people in high-income nations: A scoping review

Background: Access to palliative care remains uneven for people described, often variably and controversially, as culturally and linguistically diverse. Terminology and definitions differ across jurisdictions, shaping how models are designed, implemented, and reported. Evidence on model design and impact for people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds is limited and heterogeneous. Aim: To map what is known about palliative care models for adults of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in high-income nations, describing model components, reported outcomes, implementation influences, and gaps. Design: A scoping review was conducted, guided by the JBI manual and the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Data sources: In May 2024, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus were searched. Eligible publications described a palliative care model for adults of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in high-income nations and reported evidence of utility. Letters, commentaries, editorials, protocols, reviews, and anonymously-authored publications were excluded. No limits on date, design, numbers, outcomes, or language were applied. Results: Five publications met the inclusion criteria. Four shared components were identified – culturally sensitive care, family and community engagement, interdisciplinary and community-based approaches, as well as education and empowerment – with reported benefits for patients and family members. However, the evidence-base was geographically narrow, with no explicit engagement with an intersectional analytic lens. Conclusions: This review indicates areas of apparent consensus about core components, while underscoring conceptual and evidentiary limitations. Future research should employ theoretically-informed, structurally-oriented, and co-produced approaches that clarify definitions and examine how models address intersecting disadvantages and organisational constraints to achieve equitable, scalable palliative care.