Improving advance care planning and shared decision-making for veterans

Abstract

urses are involved in helping patients and families with advance care planning (ACP). Many educational tools are used to discuss life-saving interventions, but very few are developed specifically for veterans. This article evaluates a new tool, the Honoring Healthcare Choices CPR educational handout, and how it can be used to support veterans in ACP.In 2014, the Veterans Affairs launched the Blueprint for Excellence, a strategic initiative plan to reshape the care provided to veterans. 1 The goal of the document is to ensure that services are "veterancentric" as opposed to "providercentric." 1 In keeping with this goal, the National Academy of Medicine, formerly called the Institute of Medicine, has been promoting use of advance care planning (ACP)-a process of deciding what treatments patients would or would not want if they become ill or injured and no longer able to make those decisions for themself-to achieve patientcentered and value-based nursing care. 2,3 Studies geared toward ACP for veterans are lacking, with a specific void noted among veterans residing in rural areas.The use of effective educational decision aids in the shared decision-making process improves the patient's understanding of risks associated with possible treatments.