Table 5 Synthesized recommendations for engaging Albertans in ACP

Make ACP resources easily accessible to community groups.

Environmental restructuring, Enablement

 Make Green Sleeves and personal directive kits freely available and easily accessible to community groups. Prepare ACP content for use in newsletters, magazines, on websites, and with social media.

Provide education and facilitation opportunities for community groups and professionals.

Education, Training, Enablement

 (a) Education: Incorporate ACP into education curricula for secondary school students, into the professional education of relevant post-secondary students, into continuing professional education (e.g. medical, nursing, social work, legal, financial planning, insurance, funeral planning, etc.), and into education opportunities for relevant voluntary sectors.

 (b) Facilitation: Provide group facilitated sessions, where members come together to learn about and initiate Advance Care Planning. Create a ‘speakers bureau’ of professionals and community volunteers willing to facilitate such sessions.

Simplify healthcare system processes and increase support for conversations

Environmental restructuring, Training, Enablement

 Simplify language of resources and include explanations of how personal directives, wills, power of attorney, goals of care designations and ACP conversations relate together. Increase physician and primary care team capacity to address ACP and have the time and skills to have ACP conversations (e.g. including facilitated groups or individual coaching on how to complete documentation that reflects the person’s preferences or values).

Use stories/make use of personal experiences

Persuasion, Modelling

 Resources aimed at the public should include stories and invite reflection on prior personal experiences.

Increase marketing of ACP to the public

Education, Persuasion, Modeling

 Advertise ACP through websites, social media, television, print media, and annual events.

Capitalize on opportunities to integrate ACP into major life events

Environmental restructuring, Incentivisation, Persuasion

 Include information on ACP and Goals of Care Designations with driver’s license, with marriage license, in childbirth package, upon retirement, during will/estate planning, and other life events.

Include business partners in ACP

Environmental restructuring, Education, Modelling

 Make ACP resources accessible for use by financial planners, insurance brokers, lawyers, funeral homes and other relevant businesses for inclusion in their periodicals, education and public-facing materials. Encourage businesses to consider the value-added by including ACP promotion with their clients.

Standardize ACP terminology across the country

Education, Environmental restructuring

 Encourage national harmonization of terminology. Use lay language. Avoid acronyms.