Is Education Regarding Views on Mortality Necessary as a Prerequisite for Advance Care Planning?

Abstract

[Objective] The objective of this study was to identify the educational elements that are necessary to foster views on mortality that are associated with advance care planning (ACP), based on the results of a survey on participants’ perceptions of ACP, life, death, and mortality. [Methods] This research was qualitative and descriptive, using focus group interviews with 11 people who had experienced cancer and eight who had not. The interview topics were “participants’ image of ACP,” “thoughts on views on mortality,” and “prerequisites for education regarding views on mortality.” [Results] There was no notable difference between the two groups—those who had experienced cancer and those who had not; both groups expressed the opinion that “ACP is related to mortality.” Mortality is not an everyday subject that we usually consider in our daily lives; thus, the necessity of “a framework that allows awareness of one’s mortality in daily life” was shown. Methods to foster views on mortality highlighted by the study included: “communication games that can be played at home,” and “education to encourage individuals to think of life and death as a continuum.” While it was found that education regarding views on mortality is important, the findings also indicated that those who do not want to think about their mortality must be taken into consideration. [Conclusions] ACP and views on mortality were found to be related and to have an affinity with each other. Facing death forces one to consider one’s life, leading to people living their lives in their own way. In the future, a system is required to create a concrete educational program for views on mortality that encourages individuals to implement ACP.