Exploring older age adults experience of advance care planning. Ver 1.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the understanding and expectations of advance care planning with older adult patients living with severe clinical frailty after a period of rehabilitation following an unplanned acute hospital admission
IRAS ID
356564
Contact name
Dawn Cooper
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Gloucestershire
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Advance Care Planning offers an opportunity for individuals to consider what matters most to them in relation to their goals for health and preferences for future medical management. Well documented challenges associated with an increasingly ageing patient demographic in both the NHS and wider social care arena make conversations relating to advanced care planning vital to supporting shared care decision making, understanding what matters most to people. They are also critical to determining the effective delivery of care, which is responsive to need, reduces avoidable harm from unplanned hospital admissions and over-medicalisation of end-of-life care.
The focus of this study is exploring the concept of advance care planning specifically from the perspective of the patient. The majority of current available research literature has mainly focused on clinician experience of undertaking difficult conversations with patients within an acute hospital setting. This proposed study will focus on a community cohort of patients exploring advanced care planning within the context of a recent illness and potential functional decline, identifying what matters most to the individual in planning future health care.
Using a grounded theory methodology and mixed methods this study will:
1. investigate life expectancy in a cohort of patients identified as living with frailty as determined by the Clinical Frailty Scale who have been discharged from a community hospital setting following a period of rehabilitation
2. explore the experiences of advance care planning using the ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan of Emergency Care and Treatment) discussion with this cohort of patients and identify perceptions of what the future might hold and what matters most to them in relation to future care.REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/EE/0237
Date of REC Opinion
18 Dec 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion