Advance care planning and advance directives - UpToDate

Advance care planning (ACP) is a process that supports adults at any age or stage of health in understanding and sharing their personal values, life goals, and preferences regarding future medical care [1]. The timing and nature of ACP may vary depending on the patient's health status [2,3]. Regardless of the clinical scenario, ACP should be proactive, appropriately timed, and integrated into routine care. In addition, ACP should be revisited every time a person’s medical condition changes [2-5]. ACP requires communication between patients, their family or other decision-makers, and their health care providers and is best done with consideration of the patient’s relationships and culture. ACP may include the completion of an AD, although this is not necessarily the primary intent of ACP discussions. This topic will discuss ACP and ADs. Issues related to other legal aspects and the ethical issues that arise in palliative care, as well as a practical approach to discussing goals of care,

Advance care planning (ACP) is a process that supports adults at any age or stage of health in understanding and sharing their personal values, life goals, and preferences regarding future medical care [1]. The timing and nature of ACP may vary depending on the patient's health status [2,3]. Regardless of the clinical scenario, ACP should be proactive, appropriately timed, and integrated into routine care. In addition, ACP should be revisited every time a person’s medical condition changes [2-5]. ACP requires communication between patients, their family or other decision-makers, and their heal