title: What do Canadians think of advanced care planning? Findings from an online opinion poll.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advance care planning (ACP) has the potential to increase patient-centred care, reduce caregiver burden, and reduce healthcare costs at the end of life. Current levels of public participation in ACP activities are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of engagement of average Canadians in ACP activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data come from an on-line opinion poll of a national sample of respondents who were asked five questions on ACP activities along with their sociodemographic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents were from all provinces of Canada, 52% were women, and 33% were between 45 years and 54 years of age. Of 1021 national sample respondents, 16% were aware of the term, ACP (95% CI 13% to 18%), 52% had discussions with their family or friends (95% CI 49% to 55%), and 10% had discussions with healthcare providers (95% CI 8% to 12%). Overall, 20% (95% CI 18% to 22%) of respondents had a written ACP and 47% (95% CI 44% to 50%) had designated a substitute decision maker. Being older was associated with significantly more engagement in ACP activities and there were significant differences in ACP engagement across Canada.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although only a small proportion of Canadians are aware of the formal term, ACP, a higher percentage of Canadians are actually engaged in ACP, through either having discussions or making decisions about end-of-life care. Older citizens are more likely to be engaged in ACP and there are geographic differences in the level of ACP engagement across Canada.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Ana A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hanvey
authors.affiliation: Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tayler
authors.affiliation: Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine UBC, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barwich
authors.affiliation: Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Clinical Evaluation Research Unit, Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, Ontario Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Daren K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Heyland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D032722:Advance Care Planning / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011639:Public Opinion; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Advance Care Planning; Advance Directives; Intervention Studies; Regional Health Planning; Socioeconomic Factors