What Triggers Timely Advance Care Planning? EHRs May Help

Medscape December 10, 2025
Edited by Manasi Talwadekar

TOPLINE:

Several triggers, such as consultations for malignancy and heart failure, noted in electronic health records (EHRs) of older adults were associated with mortality. The initiation of advance care planning often occurred close to or even earlier than the optimal timing windows.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a nested case-control study using data from EHRs from primary care in a province in Netherlands to identify triggers for initiating advance care planning.
• They analysed 17,098 records of individuals aged 65 years or older, of which 4139 were from deceased individuals (mean age, 81 years; 49.7% women) who were propensity score matched with 12,959 individuals who were alive (mean age, 79 years; 57.7% women) after the follow-up from January 2017 to January 2020.
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