General practitioners’ evaluations of optimal timing to initiate advance care planning for patients with cancer, organ failure, or multimorbidity: A health records survey study

This Dutch health records study investigated the optimal moment for, and reasons to initiate advance care planning in different illnesses, including cancer. Reviewing the records of 90 patients, they identified that the median optimal advance care planning timing according to GPs was 228 days before death. The optimal time for cancer patients was earlier at 87.5 days. Overall, the optimal time and reasons to initiate advance care planning  differed between patients with cancer and compared to those with other illnesses. It also differed between GPs. The authors suggest viewing this time as a ‘window of opportunity’ rather than a single optimal time point.   Read the full article here.