Benefit, Barrier, and Self-Efficacy Messages in Advance Care Planning Education Materials

ABSTRACT

Advance care planning patient education materials are informational tools intended to empower patients to engage in preventative behaviors relevant to end-of-life decision-making. Fewer than 30% of patients engage in advance care planning (ACP) and little is known about specific messages relevant to health behavior change in ACP education materials. Using the Health Belief Model as a framework, this study used content analysis to examine both manifest and latent message content in ACP education materials (N = 58), focusing specifically on benefit, barrier, and self-efficacy messages. Results indicated that education materials lack unique, specific benefit, barrier, and self-efficacy messages, which may lower patients’ motivation and self-efficacy with regard to ACP. Based on these findings, recommendations for designing ACP education materials in medical organizations are made.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to acknowledge D.S., Xiaoquan Zhao, Gary Kreps, and Xiaomei Cai.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.