Adapting Advance Care Planning Interventions for Hispanic Communities Across the U.S.

Context: Health inequities in Hispanic populations require community-engaged solutions. Engaging Hispanic communities in research related to advance care planning (ACP) is critical to inform the development and evaluation of culturally appropriate interventions.

Objectives: To understand how to best adapt and implement Spanish-language ACP interventions in Hispanic communities across the US.

Methods: We apply the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications to Evidence-based Interventions (FRAME) to detail experiences during implementation of the national Project Talk Trial (PTT) that delivers two ACP interventions using a community-based delivery model. Semi-structured interviews with Hispanic community event hosts and research assistants (RAs) were conducted to explore challenges and solutions to implementation. Thematic analysis was applied to transcripts.

Results: Three themes from the community hosts (n = 9) were: (1) certified translation professional services were inadequate to successfully adapt interventions for diverse Hispanic communities; (2) a lack of Spanish-speaking RAs undermined the intention to address health inequities in the research; and (3) cultural norms, such as RSVP systems, differ in Hispanic populations. Themes from the RA interviews (n = 7) include: (1) discomfort with being unable to communicate appropriately with the research participants; and (2) improved connection and event flow when bilingual RAs attended events.

Conclusion: Our work highlights the value of a strong community-based delivery model, attention to local dialects and cultural nuances, the need for Spanish-speaking workforce and for balancing fidelity across national sites with adaptability when conducting rigorous research.

Trial registered: The trial titled "Engaging underserved communities in end-of-life conversations: a cluster, randomized controlled trial" is registered at clinicaltrials.gov [NCT04612738].