This 2019 article by Sarah Nouri et al. discusses a study of 1,400 English- and Spanish-speaking older adults. Researchers assessed patients’ health literacy, as well as their knowledge of advance care planning (ACP). They looked at sociodemographic factors, such as age, sex, and language. They also explored patients’ prior ACP experience, defined as having ACP forms and/or discussions in their medical record.
Researchers found that health literacy and sociodemographic factors are stronger predictors of ACP knowledge than prior ACP experience. They concluded that it’s critical to provide easy-to-understand materials about ACP, and that providers should offer these materials even to patients with prior ACP experience.