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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Apr;43(4):339-348.
doi: 10.1177/07334648231206742. Epub 2023 Nov 10.

Feasibility and Acceptability of Facilitated Advance Care Planning in Outpatient Clinics: A Qualitative Study of Patient and Caregivers Experiences

Kate H Marshall  1 , Diane L Riddiford-Harland  2 , Anne E Meller  3 , Gideon A Caplan  4   5 , Vasi Naganathan  6   7 , John Cullen  6   7 , Peter Gonski  8 , Nicholas A Zwar  9   10 , Julie-Ann O'Keeffe  11 , Karolina Krysinska  12 , Joel J Rhee  1   10
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Feasibility and Acceptability of Facilitated Advance Care Planning in Outpatient Clinics: A Qualitative Study of Patient and Caregivers Experiences

Kate H Marshall et al. J Appl Gerontol. 2024 Apr.

Abstract

Guidelines recommend advance care planning (ACP) for people with advanced illness; however, evidence supporting ACP as a component of outpatient care is lacking. We sought to establish the feasibility and acceptability of a facilitated ACP intervention for people attending tertiary outpatient clinics. Data from 20 semi-structured interviews with patient (M = 79.3 ± 7.7, 60% male) and caregiver (M = 68.1 ± 11.0, 60% female) participants recruited as part of a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial (RCT) were analyzed using qualitative descriptive methodology. Patients were randomized to intervention (e.g., facilitated support) or control (e.g., standard care). Intervention patients expressed high satisfaction, reporting the facilitated ACP session was clear, straightforward, and suited to their needs. Intervention caregivers did not report any significant concerns with the facilitated ACP process. Control participants reported greater difficulty completing ACP compared to intervention participants. Embedding facilitated ACP into tertiary outpatient care appears feasible and acceptable for people with advanced illnesses.

Keywords: advance care planning; advanced illness; decision making; end of life; outpatient care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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