HEALTH CARE
To address this, CHPCA has launched the Speak Up Campaign. Louise Hanvey, the Campaign’s Director, says that
physicians play a key role in facilitating these conversations.
“We need to provide our aging population with equitable
access to quality, medically appropriate care, congruent
with each patient’s wishes and values, in a way that enables Canadians to live well until they die,” said Hanvey. The
evidence has demonstrated that when patients engage in
advance care planning they are more likely to have their
wishes for care at end of life known and followed, and their
loved ones have less stress and anxiety.
According to a recent survey conducted by Harris Decima,
the vast majority of Canadians say that they want to get
information to discuss end-of-life wishes with family members from their health care providers. Patients are expecting their physicians to start advance care planning conversations while physicians are looking for resources to begin
these discussions.
ACP posters are also available, which can be used to promote advance care planning in medical centres alongside
the infographics.
Hanvey says that awareness is key. “While the information is
currently available, we need to increase awareness and acceptance about these conversations among Canadians,” she
said. “The topic of developing an ACP needs to be normalized in the minds of Canadian citizens through physicians
utilizing these tools.”
For more information on The Way Forward National Framework: http://www.hpcintegration.ca/resources/the-nationalframework.aspx
For more information on Advance Care Planning including
resources: http://www.advancecareplanning.ca/communityorganizations/download-the-speak-up-campaign-kit.aspx
The Speak Up Campaign has developed a number of free
tools to help professionals and patients engage in advance
care planning – all found at www.advancecareplanning.ca.
“The tools are evidence-based, cost-effective and deliver
measurable and achievable goals. They are designed to support a patient-centre approach to care, and living well until
dying.”
In other words, they are effective.
“The Speak Up campaign offers advance care planning information and resources to professionals. It includes workbooks, toolkits and other resources to help physicians engage their patients.”
7
ADVANCE CARE PLANNING
THE SPEAK UP CAMPAIGN
The Speak Up campaign has a number of