Palliative Care in a Society in Transition: How to Address the Unmet Biopsychosocial Needs in Oman

Countries with an Arab speaking majority such as those in the Arabian Gulf have recently developed an effective healthcare system to adjust to the vagaries of environment-related and infectious diseases, using a professionally driven and cure-oriented medical model. However, recent socioeconomic and demographic changes have led to an increased number of people living with life-limiting diseases (LLD) with a significant number of them requiring palliative care. The Arabian Gulf has yet to develop comprehensive health care systems able to aid individuals with LLD. Oman is a prototypical Arabian Gulf country echoing the characteristics of societies in transition with large population of people with LLD. To better understand the magnitude of LLD, it is important to understand biopsychosocial factors related to family dynamics and integrate these into palliative care. The use of nonallopathic healing systems in the context of people with LLD in societies in transition should be studied. As death is often imminent among people with LLD, studies on culturally sanctioned responses to death and dying are needed. The exploration of culturally sensitive measures in palliative care should be better developed in such societies in transition.