Dr. LAU Pui Yan, FloraFloraDr. LAU Pui Yan2026-05-282026-05-282026Lau, P. Y. (2026). Resilience through community connection and culturally competent healthcare service: Cancer management for South Asians in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong Shue Yan University (Ed.). Conference proceeding of international conference on human resilience: Navigating life changes & challenges (HRCONF2026). International Conference on Human Resilience: Navigating Life Changes & Challenges (HRCONF2026), Hong Kong Shue Yan University (pp. 24-25). Hong Kong Shue Yan University.http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/27263This presentation examines how South Asian cancer survivors enhance their resilience and overcome cancer through social connections and culturally competent healthcare service. Based on 38 in-depth interviews with cancer patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals from April 2022 to October 2023, the study reveals two key areas for building resilience for cancer patients and improving their cancer coping process.<br> First, the research findings suggest that it is important to utilize healthcare, informational, and emotional resources through community networks. Aligning with Woolcock’s framework of social capital, it shows that individuals with robust bonding, linking, and bridging social capital can easily reduce complications in accessing the healthcare system and hence, enhancing cancer treatment outcomes. Ethnic minority community leaders play a crucial role, as they can mobilize resources at various societal levels and offer patients and survivors sustainable support. The findings also point out the limitations of mainstream NGOs in addressing cancer management, while highlighting the importance of grassroots NGOs in providing essential resources for the South Asian interviewees. Second, the findings reveal issues of cultural competence within Hong Kong’s healthcare delivery. While some patients and their caregivers were ignorant of the translation services and were uncomfortable to the hectic or somewhat blunt attitude of medical practitioners, some were skeptical to the western-oriented cancer treatment provided by the public hospitals in Hong Kong. The extent to which cultural competence is practiced in Hong Kong is perceived differently among individuals.<br> In sum, this presentation highlights that the resilience of ethnic minority cancer patients can be strengthened by empowering grassroots NGOs, enhancing interpretation services, and improving public healthcare delivery. It also addresses to the need for a more inclusive and empowering culturally competent healthcare framework that addresses the unique experiences of South Asian cancer patients.enEthnic MinoritiesCancer ManagementSurvivorsCultural CompetenceNGOConference Paper