Automatic Outreach Can Improve Advance Care Planning in Seriously Ill Patients, Says UCLA Health
UCLA Health
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Contributed by: Kate Gamble
Summary
Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine demonstrates that automatic patient outreach can significantly improve advance care planning (ACP) for patients with serious illnesses. A study involving nearly 8,000 patients across multiple healthcare clinics showed that the intervention, which incorporated health navigator outreach alongside electronic communication and educational resources, led to nearly 20% of patients completing their advance directives within a year or two. Experts like Dr. Neil Wenger and Dr. Anne Walling stress the importance of facilitating these discussions, which can be hindered by the time constraints of primary care physicians. These findings suggest that integrating systematic outreach into patient care could enhance the effectiveness of ACP efforts, aligning medical decisions more closely with patients' personal preferences.
