Advance care planning in the inpatient setting: The role of the hospitalist

Advance care planning in the inpatient setting: The role of the hospitalist
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Nikhil Sood, Rohini Garg, Anthony D. Slonim; 3/25
Advance care planning (ACP) is critical to patient-centered health care, particularly in hospital settings where acute and end-of-life decisions often occur. As frontline providers, hospitalists are uniquely positioned to initiate and guide ACP discussions. This article explores the role of hospitalists in ACP, identifies barriers to its implementation, and highlights strategies to overcome these challenges. Key barriers include time constraints, lack of formal training, and uncertainty regarding the appropriate timing of discussions. To address these issues, hospitalists can benefit from structured communication training, integration of ACP prompts into electronic health records, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. While ACP has demonstrated benefits, including the alignment of care with patient preferences, reduced unnecessary interventions, and improved satisfaction for patients and families, challenges remain in ensuring consistent and culturally sensitive implementation.