eFit – HCP: Advance Care Planning

Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a process whereby a capable (mentally competent) adult engages in a plan for making personal health care decisions in the event that they becomes incapable (legally incompetent to personally direct) his or her own health care. ⁽¹⁾ ACP is about conversations and wishes. It is a process of reflection and communication involving discussions with family and friends, especially with a Substitute Decision Maker (SDM). ⁽²⁾

Use of written wishes can be risky, but many people rely on writing their wishes down. Written wishes can become obsolete, misused or misinterpreted as a decision. Wishes may be vague in language and may not speak to a specific situation that occurs.

Wishes can change, especially if a person’s health condition changes. It is not always possible to anticipate a course of illness or articulate what the person wants or doesn’t want in a particular situation. For example, new treatment(s) may become available; therefore reviewing wishes is an important part of the ongoing process. ⁽³⁾