Advance Care Planning Motivators Among Adults With Serious Illness

Author: Sarah Nouri, MD, MPH; Carine Davila, MD, MPH; Stephanie H. Chan, MPH; et al.

Publication date: November 4, 2025

In this survey study of adults in the US, led by Sarah Nouri and published in JAMA Network Open, we found that ACP discussions with someone close to them were high, yet discussions with clinicians and documentation were low, even among people with serious illness. Our findings offer insights into how people’s worries about serious illness care may affect their engagement in ACP, and how to leverage these insights to tailor patient-facing messaging about ACP.

Key findings:

Having a serious illness correlates with greater likelihood of talking about and planning care — but documentation remains low, even among those most at risk.
The findings suggest that addressing worries and fears explicitly may help motivate people to engage in ACP.

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