Navigating the complex path of end-of-life care: Exploring the role of advance care planning

As the research-focused subcommittee of EACH: International Association for Communication in Healthcare, one of the aims of rEACH is to disseminate knowledge on key issues and new trends in healthcare communication research. With these Association Pages, rEACH has involved members of rEACH to summarize key points and possible solutions about an emerging, hot topic in healthcare communication research and practice: the (debated) role and research practice of Advance Care Planning (ACP) in end-of-life care.
As individuals approach the end of life, due to the advanced state of their illness, they often experience care that does not align with their wishes and preferences. For instance, aggressive treatments are commonly administered, significantly diminishing their quality of life with limited benefits and sometimes causing more harm than good. Also, many individuals often wish to die in their preferred location, such as at home instead of a hospital, however, this wish often goes unfulfilled. ACP has been proposed as a potential solution to address these challenges.