Lay summary
Pain is one of the most common symptoms people experience at the end of life and is one of the main symptoms that community-based specialist palliative care services aims to address. Community-based specialist palliative care services' understanding of pain at end of life is based on western perspectives of pain and is centred on physical pain. Little is understood about Māori experiences of palliative pain and preferences for palliative pain management. This kaupapa Māori study seeks to understand from a Māori perspective what Māori want for palliative pain management. It also aims to understand what can be done to bridge the gap between what community-based specialist palliative care services provide and Māori preferences for palliative pain management.