Patient Perspectives on Advance Care Planning via a Patient Portal.
Sarah R Jordan, Adreanne Brungardt, Phoutdavone Phimphasone-Brady and 1 others
PMID 30803245WHAT IT FOUND
Patients found portal-based advance care planning tools convenient and accessible.
They valued being able to appoint a medical decision-maker online, especially after prior personal or professional experiences with end-of-life care. Receptionists and medical assistants were key in prompting use.
Key findings
01Patients appreciated the convenience of completing advance directives through the portal and noted that informal suggestions from receptionists or medical assistants were highly influential in prompting them to use the tools.
02Motivation to use the tools often stemmed from prior experiences, such as acting as a decision-maker for others or working in healthcare or emergency services, rather than just clinical advice.
03Some patients felt satisfied with just completing the electronic form and did not see a need for follow-up discussion with their healthcare provider, while others used the tool to facilitate such conversations.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in a single healthcare system in Colorado, where state law does not require witnesses or notarization for Medical Durable Power of Attorney forms. This makes the findings highly contextual and not generalizable to systems where such legal requirements exist. The initiative was not directly advertised to patients, so participants were a self-selected group who discovered the tools through other means. The study describes patient perspectives and experiences but does not measure whether these tools actually improved clinical outcomes or decision-making accuracy during crises.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this portal-based process will work in your setting without checking local laws. The study relied on Colorado regulations that do not require witnesses or notarization for these forms, so the convenience and completion rates described may not apply where stricter legal formalities are required.