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. 2010 Aug;27(5):306-12.
doi: 10.1177/1049909109355280. Epub 2010 Jan 26.

What influences individuals to engage in advance care planning?

Benjamin H Levi  1 , Cheryl Dellasega, Megan Whitehead, Michael J Green
Affiliations

What influences individuals to engage in advance care planning?

Benjamin H Levi et al. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2010 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is an underutilized process that involves thinking about what kind of life-prolonging medical care one would want should the need arise, identifying a spokesperson, and then communicating these wishes.

Objective: To better understand what influences individuals to engage in ACP.

Design: Three focus groups using semistructured interactive interviews were conducted with 23 older individuals from 3 diverse populations in central Pennsylvania.

Results: Four categories of influences for engaging in ACP were identified: (1) concern for self; (2) concern for others; (3) expectations about the impact of ACP; and (4) anecdotes, stories, and experiences.

Conclusions: The motivations for undertaking ACP that we have identified offer health care providers insight into effective strategies for facilitating the process of ACP with their patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest:

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare with regard to this research.

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Figure 1. What influences the person to engage in advance care planning?
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