The American journal of medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Improving completion of advance directives in the primary care setting: a randomized controlled trial.
Since 1991, hospitals have asked patients whether they have advance directives, but few patients complete these documents. We assessed two simple interventions to improve completion of advance directives among elderly or chronically ill outpatients. ⋯ Mailing health care proxy and living will forms and literature to patients before an appointment at which their physicians received a reminder about advance directives yielded a small but significant improvement in completion of these documents. A physician reminder alone did not have an effect.