157438 - The Advance Project: Initiating Advance Care Planning, Palliative and Supportive Care in General Practice

The aim of this practical workshop is to increase GPs’ skills and confidence in a) initiating conversations with older and/or chronically ill patients about advance care planning; b) identifying and assessing the palliative and supportive care needs of patients, and their carers, who might be at risk of deteriorating and dying; and c) working as a team to implement the Advance Project resources into routine clinical practice.

GPs develop ongoing and trusted relationships with their patients and are well positioned to initiate and promote advance care planning (ACP). ACP is the embodiment of person-centred healthcare and a response to the challenges that an ageing population and modern healthcare present. When a patient loses the ability to make decisions about their care (accounting for approximately one in four patients at the end of life). ACP ensures that a patient’s expressed wishes remain the focus of decisions made about their care. ACP has also been shown to both improve end of life care and patient and family satisfaction.