Advance Healthcare Directives

Advance Healthcare Directives

Exercise-1

What is the problem that requires a solution or answer?

A researchable problem that exists is that the primary care providers also known as PCP may face many barriers to the discussion of advance directives (AD) with respect to primary care. These problems require an urgent solution, as they have been a source of hindrance when it comes to the effectiveness and efficiency of the practitioners to keep the patients at ease, especially in critical times. The discussion of end-of-life care with patients ensures their pAdvance Healthcare Directives (Croke, 2005).

Advance Healthcare Directives

Exercise-1

What is the problem that requires a solution or answer?

A researchable problem that exists is that the primary care providers also known as PCP may face many barriers to the discussion of advance directives (AD) with respect to primary care. These problems require an urgent solution, as they have been a source of hindrance when it comes to the effectiveness and efficiency of the practitioners to keep the patients at ease, especially in critical times. The discussion of end-of-life care with patients ensures their preferences are known and they retain control over their care decisions even when they may no longer be actively involved in them. Unfortunately, these discussions do not always occur, and when they do occur, they are not always done well. Since 1990, the US government has mandated hospitals to question patients if they have ADs and to make these documents available to all patients in their facilities. This practice is from the Patient Self-Determination Act . AD includes living wills and health care durable powers of attorney. Without the support of the government, health care providers, and the public, many patients fail to complete these important end-of-life care documents. Prior research by Morrison, Morrison and Glickman in 1994 has shown that there are many barriers to the completion of AD in the primary care setting (Croke, 2005).

In what population does this problem exist?

These barriers have been found to be both practitioner-related and patient-related. Although patients would want to discuss these issues with their PCP, they wait for the provider to bring it up. On the other hand, many PCPs find this a difficult topic to discuss AD with their patients and there may be a myriad of reasons for their hesitation. They may be uncomfortable discussing the death of the patient and the dying process. The provider may believe that their responsibility is to heal rather than assisting in end-of-life discussions. Moreover, many PCPs may have had little training in how to deal with their own emotions while discussing this issue with their patients. They may also have personal values that play a role in such discussions (Croke, 2005).

Background information of the research problem

ADs are legal documents or value statements to health care proxies that summarize the end-of-life care wishes of a patient in the event that a patient becomes incapacitated and is unable to make those decisions. In 2005, the Terri Schiavo case made the public more sensitive about end-of-life care ...