The Value of Advance Care Planning for Spokespersons of Patients With Advanced Illness.

Context: Advance Care Planning (ACP) has fallen under scrutiny primarily because research has not consistently demonstrated patient-focused benefits.

Objectives: To better understand how spokespersons regard, engage with, and find value in ACP during decision-making for their loved ones.

Methods: This qualitative analysis was part of a randomized controlled trial involving spokespersons of patients with advanced illness who had completed ACP.

Comparing two advance care planning conversation activities to motivate advance directive completion in underserved communities across the USA: The Project Talk Trial study protocol for a cluster, randomized controlled trial.

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is a process involving conversations between patients, loved ones, and healthcare providers that consider patient preferences for the types of medical therapies received at the end of life. Underserved populations, including Black, Hispanic, rural, and low-income communities are less likely to engage in ACP than other communities, a health inequity that results in lower-quality care and reduced hospice utilization. The purpose of this trial is to compare efficacy of two interventions intended to motivate ACP (particularly advance directive completion) for those living in underserved communities.