Advance Care Planning in Australian Primary Care

Chief Investigators
Joel Rhee, Nick Zwar, Lynn Kemp

Aims

This study explores the key stakeholders, general practitioners and patients' views on how Advance Care Planning is currently conceptualised and implemented. Various ethical, legal and other theoretical frameworks that have traditionally guided the development and implementation of programs of Advanced Care Planning will be analysed to examine whether they are consistent with the expectations and views of patients, carers, families and GPs in Australia. This will provide the basis for the development of a more appropriate model of Advanced Care Planning in the Australian primary care setting that is grounded in the expectations, needs and views of the patients, carers, family members and GPs, while also remaining acceptable to other health professionals and external stakeholders.

Design and Method

This is a qualitative study involving telephone interviews with key stakeholders and face to face interviews with GPs and primary care patients. QSR NVivo software is used in the analysis. Analysis is informed by a number of different methodology including the qualitative descriptive method, phenomenology, and grounded theory.

Key Publications

Rhee JJ, Zwar NA, Kemp LA. How is advance care planning conceptualised in Australia? Findings from key informant interviews. Aust Health Rev. 2011; 35(2):197-203

Rhee JJ, Zwar NA, Lynn A. Uptake and implementation of Advance Care Planning in Australia: findings of key informant interviews. Aust Health Rev. 2012; 36 98-104