Advance Care Planning

Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a process that enables individuals to make plans about their future health care. Advance care plans provide direction to healthcare professionals when a person is not in a position to make and/or communicate their own healthcare choices.

Advanced planning tools and documentation are underutilized and unknown. Very few healthcare providers (less than 15%) have end of life planning conversations with their patients and few people recognize the need for an advance directive as early as age 18.

UCOA Policy Position

Every Utahn has advance planning documentation available, completed, and health care agents appointed to ensure their choices, values, and care instructions are followed to achieve their desired outcomes and to eliminate unnecessary, costly, and unwanted care.

In this section you will find resources, research and educational, and policy information including ACP care planning document templates and guidance, tools for professionals to conduct important end of life conversations, local and national resources, and guides for ACP. Specific documents approved by the state of Utah for Advance Directives and POLST agreements (Provider Order of Life Sustaining Treatment) are provided below.