Cultural, social, and political factors in providing palliative care

The increasing worldwide attention to palliative care in patients with cancer is consistent with the evolution of a civil society. Because each society has its own distinguishing characteristics, palliative care models are developed in dissimilar ways. Political structure, economic resources, systems of belief, and culture shape people's perspectives on health, illness, suffering, and death. These societal paradigms may, in turn, influence the expected goal of providing effective support during a severe illness and at the end of life (EOL). This chapter discusses the influence of cultural, social, and political factors in delivering palliative care using Italy as an example of a country whose immigrant population represents diverse cultures---mainly eastern European and Muslim---thus creating a very heterogeneous substrate.