Advance Care Planning in Australia: Progress in research and implementation.

Abstract

Advance Care Planning in Australia has its foundations in the Respecting Patient Choices model, which was initially implemented in one state. The Australian population is diverse, ageing and geographically dispersed, with health and aged care services provided by a range of different organisations and regulated at different levels. Key challenges in ACP implementation include discomfort with ACP discussion, inconsistent legislation and ACP documentation across jurisdictions, poor quality control of ACP documents and difficulties accessing ACP documents at the point of care. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a range of issues but also led to some innovative practices which have continued after the relaxation of public health restrictions. Ongoing implementation work focuses on meeting the needs of diverse communities and sectors in ACP, while seeking an overall coherence in policy and standardisation of practice through high-level best-practice principles, quality standards and policy frameworks.