title: The experience of patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and advance care-planning: A South Australian perspective.
abstract: Advance care-planning conversations with people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are important because of the severity of the disease and the unpredictable timing of death. Advance care-planning is a process involving conversations about future wishes, including end-of-life care and the appointment of a substitute decision-maker. This qualitative research explored issues relating to end-of-life decisions with 15 individuals and their carers living in the community who had severe COPD. Findings indicated that, although patients and carers would welcome the opportunity to discuss end-of-life decisions, almost no conversation about care-planning had been initiated by health professionals with any of the participants. It also demonstrated that professional support is required to assist with advance care-planning and the completion of the legal advance directive documents.
authors: Hawke Research Institute, University of South Australia. margaret.brown@unisa.edu.au
authors: Margaret
authors: M
authors: Brown
authors: Mary A
authors: MA
authors: Brooksbank
authors: Teresa A
authors: TA
authors: Burgess
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Young
authors: Gregory B
authors: GB
authors: Crawford
mesh_terms: D032722:Advance Care Planning; D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001315:Australia; D017028:Caregivers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index