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. 2024 Dec 31;23(1):303.
doi: 10.1186/s12904-024-01635-9.

Awareness-raising activities of advance care planning for community residents: a nationwide cross-sectional survey in Japan

Masayo Kashiwagi  1 , Noriko Morioka  2 , Miho Terajima  2 , Kyoko Hanari  3 , Takehiro Sugiyama  4   3   5 , Ryota Inokuchi  4   3 , Nanako Tamiya  4   3
Affiliations

Awareness-raising activities of advance care planning for community residents: a nationwide cross-sectional survey in Japan

Masayo Kashiwagi et al. BMC Palliat Care. .

Abstract

Background: Japan is implementing awareness-raising of advance care planning for older adults; however, only 451 out of 1 741 municipalities were engaged in advance care planning awareness-raising activities among residents, according to a 2017 survey. This study examined advance care planning awareness-raising activities among community residents by local governments after the 2018 revision of the government guidelines, as well as utilization of the revised guidelines, issues in awareness-raising activities, and directions for future activities.

Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in prefectures and municipalities nationwide in 2022. Questions included the status, content, and issues of advance care planning awareness-raising activities for community residents. A multi-level logistic regression analysis was used to examine the characteristics of municipalities engaged in activities.

Results: Responses were received from 43 prefectures (response rate: 91.5%) and 912 municipalities (response rate: 53.1%). Of the municipalities, 63.6% (n = 580) reported "active" advance care planning awareness-raising. A high financial capability index and implementation of awareness-raising activities in the prefecture where the municipality was located were significantly associated with its awareness-raising activities. Municipalities engaged in awareness-raising activities reported experiencing issues related to the objectives, methods, and outcome evaluation of the activities.

Conclusions: Five-hundred eighty municipalities engaged in awareness-raising activities-a number that had increased significantly since the 2017 survey. Municipalities that could not engage in awareness-raising activities should receive financial support and other forms of support from prefectures. Furthermore, to ensure that municipalities clarify the purpose of awareness-raising and the desired outcomes, indices for quantitatively measuring results and achievements should be developed.

Keywords: Advance care planning; Awareness-raising activities; Cross-sectional survey; Financial capability index; Municipalities.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. All methods were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. The requirement for informed consent was waived because providing a response was considered consent, and the study protocol was approved by the Tokyo Medical and Dental University Ethics Review Board (no. C2022-017). Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Fiscal year of start of awareness-raising activities (year; n = 580)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Awareness-raising method in municipalities engaged in awareness-raising activities (n = 580)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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