title: Efficacy of advance care planning: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To systematically review the efficacy of advance care planning (ACP) interventions in different adult patient populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review and meta-analyses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1966 to September 2013), and reference lists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trials that describe original data on the efficacy of ACP interventions in adult populations and were written in English.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five studies were identified. Study details were recorded using a predefined data abstraction form. Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale by 2 independent reviewers. Meta-analytic techniques were conducted using a random effects model. Analyses were stratified for type of intervention: 'advance directives' and 'communication.'
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary outcome measures were completion of advance directives and occurrence of end-of-life discussions. Secondary outcomes were concordance between preferences for care and delivered care, knowledge of ACP, end-of-life care preferences, quality of communication, satisfaction with healthcare, decisional conflict, use of healthcare services, and symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interventions focusing on advance directives as well as interventions that also included communication about end-of-life care increased the completion of advance directives and the occurrence of end-of-life care discussions between patients and healthcare professionals. In addition, interventions that also included communication about ACP, improved concordance between preferences for care and delivered care and may improve other outcomes, such as quality of communication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ACP interventions increase the completion of advance directives, occurrence of discussions about ACP, concordance between preferences for care and delivered care, and are likely to improve other outcomes for patients and their loved ones in different adult populations. Future studies are necessary to reveal the effective elements of ACP and should focus on the best way to implement structured ACP in standard care.
authors.affiliation: Program Development Center, Center of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure (CIRO+), Horn, The Netherlands. Electronic address: carmenhouben@ciro-horn.nl.
authors.forename: Carmen H M
authors.initials: CHM
authors.lastname: Houben
authors.affiliation: Program Development Center, Center of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure (CIRO+), Horn, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martijn A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Spruit
authors.affiliation: Program Development Center, Center of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure (CIRO+), Horn, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Miriam T J
authors.initials: MTJ
authors.lastname: Groenen
authors.affiliation: Program Development Center, Center of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure (CIRO+), Horn, The Netherlands; Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht UMC+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Emiel F M
authors.initials: EFM
authors.lastname: Wouters
authors.affiliation: Program Development Center, Center of Expertise for Chronic Organ Failure (CIRO+), Horn, The Netherlands; Center of Expertise for Palliative Care, Maastricht UMC+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Daisy J A
authors.initials: DJA
authors.lastname: Janssen
mesh_terms: D032722:Advance Care Planning; D016223:Advance Directives; D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D013727:Terminal Care
keywords: Advance care planning; advance directives; communication; end-of-life care