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Low Rates of Advance Care Planning (ACP) Discussions Despite Readiness to Engage in ACP Among Liver Transplant Candidates

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Abstract

Background

Patients with end-stage liver disease awaiting liver transplantation (LT) are seriously ill and experience fluctuating periods of clinical decompensation. Discussion of a patient’s advance care planning (ACP) wishes early in their dynamic disease course is critical to providing value-aligned care while awaiting LT. We aimed to evaluate current ACP documentation and assess readiness to engage in ACP in this population.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of adults undergoing LT evaluation from January 2017 to June 2017 and assessed characteristics associated with documentation using logistic regression. We then administered a survey to LT candidates from March 2018 to May 2018 to determine self-reported readiness to engage in ACP (range 1 = not at all ready to 5 = very ready).

Results

Among 170 LT candidates, median (interquartile range) age was 58 (53–65), 65% were men, MELDNa was 15 (11–21), and Child–Pugh A/B/C were 33/38/29%. Nine percent reported completing ACP prior to LT evaluation, but 0% had legal ACP forms or end-of-life wishes documented in the medical record. A durable power of attorney (DPOA) was discussed with 10%. In univariable analysis, white race (OR 4.16, p = 0.03) and female sex (OR 3.06, p = 0.04) were associated with ACP documentation, but Child–Pugh score and MELDNa were not. Of the 41 LT candidates who completed the ACP survey, 93% were ready to appoint a DPOA and 85% were ready to discuss end-of-life care.

Conclusion

There is a paucity of ACP documentation and identification of DPOA among LT candidates, despite patients reporting readiness to complete ACP and appoint a DPOA. These results reveal an opportunity for tools to facilitate discussions around ACP between clinicians, patients, and their caregivers.

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Abbreviations

ACP:

Advance care planning

CI:

Confidence interval

DNR:

Do-not-resuscitate

DPOA:

Designated power of attorney

ESLD:

End-stage liver disease

HBV:

Hepatitis B virus

HCV:

Hepatitis C virus

IQR:

Interquartile range

MELDNa:

Model for end-stage liver disease-sodium

NASH:

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

POLST:

Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment

SD:

Standard deviation

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Funding

This study was funded by K23AG048337 (Lai) and R01AG059183 (Lai). This funding agency played no role in the analysis of the data or preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, UCSF Box 0538, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA

    Connie W. Wang, Adrienne Lebsack & Jennifer C. Lai

  2. Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Rebecca L. Sudore

  3. San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Rebecca L. Sudore

Authors
  1. Connie W. Wang
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  2. Adrienne Lebsack
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  3. Rebecca L. Sudore
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  4. Jennifer C. Lai
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Contributions

CWW and JCL contributed to study concept and design. CWW and AL participated in data collection; all authors contributed to data analysis and interpretation. CWW, RLS, and JCL contributed to the drafting of the manuscript; all authors contributed to critical revision of the manuscript and approved the final version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer C. Lai.

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The authors of this manuscript have no conflicts of interest to disclose as described by Digestive Diseases and Sciences.

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Wang, C.W., Lebsack, A., Sudore, R.L. et al. Low Rates of Advance Care Planning (ACP) Discussions Despite Readiness to Engage in ACP Among Liver Transplant Candidates. Dig Dis Sci 66, 1446–1451 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06369-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06369-1

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