Advance Care Planning has long been seen as a key step in planning for care at the end of life for those with serious illness. But are ACP discussions worth the paper they're recorded on?
Professor R. Sean Morrison MD (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) says that Advance Care Planning doesn't improve end of life care, and can't be relied upon as a quality indicator for end of life discussions.
Associate Professor Juliet Jacobsen MD (Harvard Medical School), meanwhile, acknowledges that skilled communication can lessen or even prevent the distress felt by patients with serious illness and their loved ones, and suggests that a move towards Serious Illness Conversations may better provide for patients' needs.
What's your view? Join the debate at our free webinar on 31st March.