Advance Care Planning in Spain

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Bioethics
• Health Policy

Background:

• Spain has prioritized health policies for advanced chronic disease care, integrating patient autonomy, shared decision-making, and advance care planning (ACP).
• Growing interest among healthcare professionals and institutions in Spain for implementing ACP within public healthcare systems.
• The evolution from ACP to Shared Care Planning (SCP) represents a shift towards a person-centered care model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the development and implementation of health policies concerning chronic care in Spain.
• To highlight the transition from traditional Advance Care Planning (ACP) to a more person-centered Shared Care Planning (SCP) approach.
• To document the emergence and growing influence of the Spanish Association of Shared Care Planning (AEPCA).

Main Methods:

• Review of health policies and initiatives in Spain over the last decade.
• Analysis of the conceptual evolution from ACP to SCP, informed by international Delphi studies.
• Observation of ongoing professional and regional adoption of SCP principles.

Main Results:

• Significant progress in health policy development for chronic care, with ACP principles recognized.
• A nascent but growing movement towards implementing ACP and SCP in Spain, with AEPCA playing a key role.
• While ACP is established, SCP is gaining momentum as a preferred person-centered approach.

Conclusions:

• Spain is actively developing policies for chronic disease management, emphasizing patient rights and shared decision-making.
• Shared Care Planning (SCP) is emerging as a significant evolution from Advance Care Planning (ACP), aligning with person-centered care ideals.
• Despite challenges in full system integration, SCP is increasingly embraced across Spain for vulnerable populations.