Equipping patients for a time of helplessness: an educational intervention.
OBJECTIVE
Quantify rates of awareness about, and ownership of, End-of-Life Planning (ELP) instruments. Examine whether this rate is increased by brief education during routine team care. Measure the time required by this exercise.


METHODS
Quality Improvement Activity.


METHODS
General Practice on Mid-North Coast, New South Wales.


METHODS
Forty-two consecutive, consenting elderly patients undertaking a Home Health Assessment.


METHODS
This study assessed rates of ELP instruments at baseline, at 2 weeks, at 2 months and at 2 years following the provision and discussion of a fact sheet while measuring the clinicians' time required.


RESULTS
This education exercise increased the number of patients with ELP instruments from one to ten (24%). On average it took 5.6 min of nursing time and 3.9 min for the GP.


CONCLUSIONS
Brief education during Home Health Assessments may empower patients to prepare for a scenario where they lost competency to make fully informed decisions. This may alleviate patient's fears about causing problems between those close to them and having treatments against their wishes.
School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia. simon@nunet.com.au
Simon
S
Holliday
D016223:Advance Directives; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence