A Model for Standardized and Proactive Advance Care Planning

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Care Planning
• Medical Ethics

Background:

• Advance Care Planning (ACP) is recognized for its importance in patient-centered care.
• Current healthcare systems often lack standardized ACP processes.
• Many systems adopt a reactive approach to ACP, rather than a proactive one.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an innovative, standardized approach to Advance Care Planning (ACP).
• To highlight a proactive orientation for ACP implementation within a health system.
• To address the standardization gap in ACP across inpatient and outpatient settings.

Main Methods:

• The paper discusses a specific health system's strategy for standardizing ACP.
• Focus is placed on integrating ACP into both inpatient and outpatient clinical workflows.
• The methodology emphasizes a shift from reactive to proactive ACP engagement.

Main Results:

• The described approach standardizes Advance Care Planning (ACP) across diverse care settings.
• Implementation focuses on proactive patient and family engagement.
• This model aims to improve the consistency and timeliness of ACP completion.

Conclusions:

• Standardized, proactive Advance Care Planning (ACP) is achievable within health systems.
• This approach enhances the integration of patient preferences into care.
• System-wide adoption of proactive ACP can improve care coordination and patient outcomes.