[The objective of advance care planning]

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Research
• Medical Informatics
• Public Health

Background:

• Advance care planning (ACP) is increasingly viewed as a standard medical intervention.
• The efficacy of digital tools in facilitating ACP is an area of growing interest.
• ACP encompasses diverse approaches and does not necessitate a primary physician-led role.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an online platform in promoting advance care planning documentation.
• To explore the multifaceted nature of ACP and its implementation.
• To critically assess the chosen endpoint for measuring ACP intervention success.

Main Methods:

• A commentary reflecting on a study assessing an ACP website's efficacy.
• Analysis of the study's methodology and outcome measures.
• Discussion on the conceptualization and delivery of ACP.

Main Results:

• The study demonstrated that an advance care planning (ACP) website can increase planning documentation.
• ACP is recognized as a quantifiable intervention, moving beyond belief-based acceptance.
• The study highlighted the variability in ACP forms and the potential for non-physician involvement.

Conclusions:

• While the website increased documentation, the study's focus on documentation as the primary endpoint is debatable.
• The true value of ACP may lie in the patient's reflective process regarding goals and values, not solely in the creation of a living will.
• Further research should consider process-oriented outcomes in addition to documentation.