Advance care planning (ACP) may seem straightforward to some. However, for many people this is a challenging topic to discuss and a complex landscape to navigate. This work can be time consuming and emotionally charged, requiring the collaboration of several team members for positive outcomes to result. As a renal social worker in an acute care setting, I see ACP surfacing frequently as a discussion topic. I have seen cases ranging from patients not participating in any ACP to very detailed ACP documentation. This Viewpoint will discuss ACP, explore both the negatives and positives of ACP, and focus in on a study that found a certain model for ACP to be successful. 

Study author Courtney Sas is an alum of the master of bioethics program at Harvard Medical School. She is a social worker at St. Michael's hospital in Toronto. 

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