It's Everyone's Business: Capturing the Conversation (QI712)

Abstract

Methods. To improve care delivery for our nation's Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) developed the Diffusion of Excellence Initiative to identify and spread practices developed through quality improvement methods. One such practice is Advance Care Planning via Group Visits (ACP-GV), which uses an interactive and patient-centered group session to engage Veterans in thinking about and planning for future medical decisions. In these sessions, social workers, or other health professionals, facilitate discussions for Veterans and their trusted others. Facilitators emphasize that while completing an advance directive is voluntary, it increases the chance that their care aligns with their wishes and values and relieves trusted others of having to make these difficult decisions. In addition, ACP-GV increases the effectiveness of advance care planning through allowing Veterans to discuss and process these complex topics with other Veterans in a group session.