An Educational Video Intervention to Increase Advance Care Planning Knowledge and Advance Directive Completion for Community-Dwelling Veterans

Abstract

Advance Care Planning is the process by which patients with the healthcare provider and family establish values, goals, and preferences for future care. Advance Directives provide written documentation of patients wishes for future care following Advance Care Planning conversations. The problem exists that only 17% of adults have had Advance Care Planning discussions with a healthcare provider and 18-36% have completed an Advance Directive. Lack of knowledge and awareness regarding ACP is the most common reason people have not completed an Advance Directive. The purpose of this quasi-experimental Doctor of Nursing Practice pilot project was to determine if an educational video intervention increased Advance Care Planning knowledge and Advance Directive completion in 30 community-dwelling Veterans whom are members of American Legion or Veterans of Foreign War Posts. Videos from the Nous Foundation were utilized for this educational intervention. Veterans were administered a questionnaire before and after the educational video intervention. This study supported the use of an educational video intervention to increase Advance Care Planning knowledge and increase participants plan to complete an Advance Directive. The implementation of this pilot project benefits the physical, psychological, psychosocial, spiritual, and financial well-being of patients, families, providers, healthcare organizations, and society.