Development of an Advance Care Planning Pilot Module for New York City Community Members

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Education
• Gerontology

Background:

• Advance care planning (ACP) is crucial for aligning future healthcare with patient values, yet engagement and advance directive (AD) completion are limited.
• Low awareness, misconceptions, and systemic barriers hinder widespread ACP and AD utilization.
• A significant knowledge gap in ACP and AD was identified within the New York City (NYC) community.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a community-based educational module to enhance knowledge of ACP and AD.
• To assess the impact, acceptability, and feasibility of the educational intervention among NYC community members.

Main Methods:

• A 30-minute educational module was created, including a slideshow, glossary, resource handout, and AD form.
• Eleven workshops were conducted at diverse community sites in NYC, engaging 141 adult participants.
• Impact and feedback were assessed using validated surveys with Likert-scale items and open-ended questions; data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.

Main Results:

• The educational module was found to be acceptable and feasible, with a 40% survey response rate (N=56).
• Participants reported a significant increase in understanding of ACP concepts and confidence in completing ADs.
• Qualitative feedback highlighted the clarity, relevance, and practicality of the educational materials.

Conclusions:

• Community-based educational workshops effectively enhance ACP knowledge and empower individuals in healthcare decision-making.
• The intervention demonstrates potential for improving ACP engagement and AD completion rates.
• Future efforts should focus on expanding reach, translating materials, and evaluating long-term impact on AD completion.