Health Providers Need to Stress Importance of Advance Care Planning

The Patient Self-Determination Act, which took effect in 1991, requires that all patients receive information on advance directives upon admission into hospitals or long-term care facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding. Past research has shown that there is still a need for improvement, particularly in the advance care planning discussion that takes place between healthcare providers and patients and their families. To do this requires educating the public and healthcare providers on the importance of advance care planning.