The Need for Advance Care Planning as a Pivotal Means for Respecting the Patient’s Will in Poland: Learning Points from Swiss and Australian Models

Abstract

Self-determination is pivotal for a patient’s autonomy. Decisions at the end of life should reflect the human right to decide on the last days of life according to personal beliefs, philosophy, preferences, and values. Advance Care Planning (ACP) aims to ensure that patients receive medical care consistent with their values, goals, and priorities during progressive life-threatening chronic illness. We present decades-long experience of the implementation of ACP in different legal systems, in Switzerland and Australia, and the current legal situation of pro futuro statements in Polish law. Irrespective of jurisdiction and despite the apparent benefits of ACP, its implementation may face numerous impediments, i.e. poor public health messaging, a lack of skilled, trained personnel to deliver and sustain ACP initiatives, misunderstanding of the practical application of an advance care directive in real terms, and misperception of ACP as a form of crypto-euthanasia. Addressing these impediments would be a prerequisite for its successful national implementation. Furthermore, successful implementation needs public dialogue, collaboration between legislators and healthcare professionals, and engagement with the public, patients, and caregivers to foster a greater understanding of the true meaning of self-determination.