Addressing Advance Care Planning in Patients With COPD

COPD is a progressive debilitating disease with diminished quality of life after hospital admissions. Because of the nature of the disease, it is important to address patients' goals of care, preferably prior to the development of refractory COPD. Advance Care Planning (ACP) is an all-encompassing term that involves discussing goals with patients. Various review articles on ACP and COPD focus on the definition of ACP, identification of barriers to addressing ACP, and the use of interventions to incorporate ACP in practice. There is evidence that ACP improves quality of communication, reduces admissions, and increases quality of life, but often the focus of that research has been on patients with cancer. Many of the articles have suggestions for how to apply ACP to chronic lung disease; however, without further research and definitive guidance, obtaining funding for programs dedicated to ACP may be difficult. There are currently no guidelines for addressing ACP in patients with COPD. Research addresses the reason that advance care planning is important, yet there are barriers that patients, families, and health care providers encounter that prevent meaningful discussions. Research has also found that the use of multidisciplinary teams improves care and quality of life; however, research should be dedicated to the investigation of the effects of advance care planning initiatives on outcomes in patients with COPD, particularly in the reduction of hospital admissions and improvement of quality of life. This review seeks to educate providers about end-stage COPD and advance care planning, the evidence that shows the importance of advance care planning, and the current and future state of research.