Project Title

Necessary discussions: Advance care planning for nursing homes in a COVID-19 outbreak

Research Focus

The development and evaluation of an online advance care planning COVID-centric resource for nursing homes to support shared decision making on goals of care.

Funder & Dates

Co-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of the UK Research and Innovation’s rapid response to COVID-19, and the Health and Social Care Research & Development Division (HSC R&D Division) of the Public Health Agency.

Principal Investigator or Primary Supervisor

Professor Kevin Brazil

Co-Investigators or additional supervisors

Dr Gary Mitchel

Dr Gillian Carter

Research Fellow(s) or PhD Student

Dr Julie Doherty - Research Fellow

Name & Institution

of Collaborators

Professor Nancy Preston, Lancaster University

Dr Andrew Harding, Lancaster University

Dr Karen Harrison Denning, Dementia UK

Dr Anne Finucane, Marie Curie, Edinburg

Description of Project:

Aim; Methods; Expected Outcomes

Aim: The aim of this project is to develop and evaluate an online advance care planning COVID-centric resource for nursing homes during a COVID-19 outbreak.

Methods: Findings from a rapid review of advance care planning guidance in the UK will be used to develop an online resource for training staff and providing information to family carers. A case study approach will be used to evaluate the online resource. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with staff and family members who receive the information on advance care planning during a COVID-19 outbreak.

Expected outcomes:

a) enhanced knowledge of advance care planning during a COVID-19 outbreak;

b) enhanced decision making among family carers regarding resident care;

c) improved communication between staff and family carers regarding their relatives health care needs;

d) development of an open source online ACP COVID-centric resource., 

Links/URLs to external pages

The project webpage can be accessed here. 

Harding, A., Preston, N., Doherty, J. et al. Developing and evaluating online COVID-centric advance care planning training and information resources for nursing staff and family members in nursing homes: the necessary discussions study protocol. BMC Geriatr 21, 456 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02398-1