Mapping advance care planning and advance directives in Latin America.

ABSTRACT:

Background/aims

The extent to which low- and middle-income countries have implemented Advance Care Planning (ACP) and Advance Directives (AD) remains unclear. We aimed to map the current status of ACP/AD in Latin America.

Methods

This cross-sectional, mixed-methods survey of ACP/AD in LA comprised interviews with 18 key informants from 18 out of 20 countries, most of whom were appointed by national Palliative Care Associations. Online interviews were conducted with each informant, covering a range of relevant topics from AD regulations to the use of ACP/AD in the context of end-of-life clinical decision making. We performed member checking and data triangulation to confirm our findings.

Results

Only eight (44%) countries have some form of ACP/AD regulations. Most regu

SUBMITTER: Tardelli NR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12413744 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature