BACKGROUND

Advance care planning (ACP) discussions are vital, but they remain largely neglected and met with resistance in the Philippines. The general population, especially non-medical individuals, has not actively engaged in ACP. To address this, we developed the ‘ACP-READY’ program for primary care settings.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of ‘ACP-READY’ in facilitating the completion of Advance Directives (ADs) among non-medical personnel and identifying barriers to their completion.

METHODS

A randomized, controlled, single-blind approach with a quantitative survey followed by qualitative semi-structured interviews enrolled 161 English-literate, legally competent individuals aged 18-65 from a hospital’s non-medical staff. Participants were randomly assigned to control (n=77) or intervention (n=84) groups. We initially evaluated participants’ readiness for ACP (ACPRe)1. Subsequently, both groups were instructed to complete an AD form in their preferred language, with the experimental group receiving an interactive ACP seminar. Post-test assessments gauged participants’ willingness to complete their AD. A focused-group discussion was conducted to explore their experiences.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. There was no statistical difference in readiness improvement and AD completion rates between the control and intervention groups. Well-worded brief instruction and comprehensive seminars were equally effective in enhancing readiness and promoting AD completion (pCONCLUSION

Concise and well-presented instruction on ACP is as effective as comprehensive seminars in promoting AD completion among medically stable individuals. Family physicians, with their longitudinal, patient-centered approach, can address some of the identified barriers.

Human ; Advance Care Planning ; Patient Engagement ; Patient Participation ; Primary Care ; Primary Health Care