STRENGTHENING ADVANCE CARE PLANNING THROUGH INNOVATIVE POLICYMAKING, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH

Abstract

AbstractThe National Academy of Medicine in its 2015 report, , advocates advance care planning (ACP) as vital for people with serious, advanced illness to assure that health care decisions near the end of life are made according to their preferences and values. This allows the very ill to forego unwanted invasive procedures that might detract from the quality of their lives, and instead choose hospice and other palliative measures that focus on quality of life and comfort. This symposium presents policy, practice, and research strategies from social work perspectives. The first presentation from an author of and of the 2016 Roundtable on Quality Care for People with Serious Illness, describes innovative legislative proposals and policies, resources, online registries, and evidence-based quality measures that promote ACP. The second presenter uses data from a national survey to describe the extent to which hospice and palliative care social workers facilitate, conduct, and lead ACP planning activities. The third presentation describes findings from interviews with bereaved caregivers on how ACP and ongoing communication influenced outcomes at the end of their loved one’s life. Finally, the fourth presenter discusses attitudes and behaviors toward advanced directives among Chinese American older adults, and the importance of culture. Each of the presenters discusses the implications of these findings and potential strategies for policymaking, practice, and research.