Assessing Advance Care Plan Discussions in Hospice Day Care

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is a voluntary discussion between an individual and their care providers. The primary purpose is to identify and document a person’s wishes and preferences for future care.
Method: Within Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) an ACP document which records the process of advance care planning has been developed, piloted and approved for use within North Wales. The BCUHB ACP document can be used to structure and document ACP discussions with patients. It is a patient-held record of these discussions that with the consent of the patient may be shared if appropriate with those important to the patient and/or healthcare professionals. ACP discussion opportunities and documentation of patients’ wishes and preferences for future care have been introduced into hospice day care in North Wales.
Outcomes: This paper reports on the preliminary outcomes, lessons learnt and how they are informing the way forward with this challenging local initiative whilst contributing to the international ACP picture.