Respirology : official journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology
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The review aims to discuss current concepts in advance care planning (ACP) for patients with COPD, and to provide a narrative review of recent trends in ACP and end-of-life care for patients with COPD. ACP, which involves patient-clinician communication about end-of-life care, can improve outcomes for patients and their families, and may be especially relevant for patients with COPD. Effective patient-clinician communication is needed to inform and prepare patients about their diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and what dying might be like. ⋯ ACP should be implemented alongside curative-restorative care for patients with advanced COPD. The disease course of COPD is such that there will rarely be a clear transition point predicting the timing of the need for initiation of end-of-life care. Future studies should focus on interventions that facilitate concurrent ACP and prepare patients for making in-the-moment decisions, with the goal of improving the quality of end-of-life care.