The effect of advance care planning on completion of advance directives and patient satisfaction in people with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

The effects of advance care planning are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an advance care planning intervention on the completion of advance directives (ADs) and patient satisfaction. A volunteer sample of persons with HIV/AIDS received advance directive documents, watched an educational video and received individual counselling on completing an advance directive during three face-to-face interviews over approximately six months. The advance care planning intervention was associated with an increase in advance directive completion rates from 16.4% to 40.7% (p = 0.001), but 23.1% of advance directives reported as completed were legally invalid. There was a trend towards decreased overall patient satisfaction with health care (p = 0.07). Advance are planning increases the rate of AD completion but many 'completed' advance directives are legally invalid. Advance care planning did not improve patient satisfaction with health care.