Motivational Interviewing Tailored Programme for Promoting Advance Care Planning Behaviours

Effects of a Motivational Interviewing Tailored Programme for Promoting Advance Care Planning Behaviours Among Patients With Palliative Care Needs: A Randomised Controlled Trial

This proposed study is designed to test the effects of motivational interviewing (MI) in increasing the uptake of ACP behaviours among patients with palliative care needs. A randomised controlled trial with repeated blinded outcome assessment will be conducted to assess the effects of a MI-tailored ACP (MI-ACP) programme on palliative care patients recruited from the outpatient palliative care clinics and home palliative care services of two hospitals. A total of 204 patients will be recruited and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The patients in the experimental group will receive a MI-ACP programme facilitated by a trained nurse, whereas the patients in the control group will receive usual care. Primary outcome is the behavioural changes in ACP. Secondary outcomes are perceived stress, decisional conflict and quality of life. Study outcomes will be measured at baseline, 1 month and 3 months after enrolment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age or over
• newly referred to palliative care services
• with a palliative performance scale (PPS) score of 60 or above; and
• with full level of consciousness

Exclusion Criteria:

• uncommunicable because of sensory impairment or language barrier
• cognitively impaired
• are receiving active psychiatric treatment
• already had signed an advance directive