Making Visible a Theory-Guided Advance Care Planning Intervention.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Communication in Medicine

Background:

• Effective end-of-life communication interventions require detailed descriptions for replication and translation.
• Advance care planning is crucial for patient autonomy and surrogate support in end-of-life decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide comprehensive details of the theory-guided "Sharing Patient Illness Representations to Increase Trust" (SPIRIT) intervention.
• To facilitate the replication, extension, and practical implementation of an efficacious advance care planning intervention.

Main Methods:

• The SPIRIT intervention description is informed by established checklists and taxonomies for intervention reporting.
• Utilized Conn (2012) checklist, Schulz et al. (2010) Intervention Taxonomy, and CONSORT guidelines.
• Detailed the intervention's theoretical basis, intervener training, component implementation, and fidelity monitoring.

Main Results:

• The SPIRIT intervention is theory-guided and has been pilot tested with diverse patient populations.
• Demonstrated efficacy in preparing patients and surrogates for end-of-life decision-making.

Conclusions:

• Detailed descriptions of the SPIRIT intervention components can aid its translation into practice.
• The intervention's theoretical grounding and pilot testing support its potential for widespread adoption.