Video images of advanced dementia can help patients choose the type of care they want in the future, finds a study published on bmj.com today. The images also led to more stable treatment preferences over time.
Respecting patients' preferences for treatment is a key component of high quality end of life care. Traditionally, doctors help patients engage in advance care planning by describing hypothetical situations, such as advanced dementia, and exploring possible goals of care, but this approach is limited.
Visual images have been shown to improve communication of complex health information and inform end of life decision-making. So a research team, led by Angelo Volandes at Massachusetts General Hospital, examined whether a video of a patient with advanced dementia could shape the choices made by patients about the kind of care they would want in the future.
Video Decision Support Tool For Advance Care Planning In Dementia: Randomised Controlled Trial, UK
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