Barriers to Advance Care Planning Implementation in Health care: An Umbrella Review with Implications for Evidence-Based Practice

Background Advance care planning (ACP) refers to a process of discussions between professionals, patients, and their families, which allows the patient to define and communicate their care and treatment preferences. Understanding the barriers to advance care planning is the first step on the way to overcoming them and to improving person-centred care and attention. Aims To identify the barriers perceived by professionals, patients, and family members when implementing ACP in a clinical context and to analyse the methodological quality of the evidence. Methods An umbrella review guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute and a systematic review in accordance with PRISMA 2015 were utilized. Data were obtained from MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, The Joanna Briggs Institute, CINAHL, Scopus, and EMBASE in November 2018. Results Fourteen systematic reviews were included. The main barriers reported by professionals were lack of knowledge and skills to carry out ACP, a certain fear of starting conversations about ACP, and a lack of time for discussions. Patients and family members considered that the main barriers were fear of discussing their relative's end of life, lack of ability to carry out ACP, and not knowing who was responsible for initiating conversations about ACP. Linking Evidence to Action This review has examined the barriers presented by health professionals, patients, and family members, so that future lines of research can develop preventive or decisive measures that encourage the implementation of ACP in health care.

Automated summary

This study identifies the main barriers perceived by professionals, patients, and family members when implementing Advance Care Planning (ACP). Professionals reported lack of knowledge and skills, fear of starting conversations, and lack of time as barriers. Patients and family members expressed fear of discussing end of life, lack of ability to carry out ACP, and uncertainty about who should initiate ACP conversations.