9th International Advance Care Planning Conference
The 9th International Advance Care Planning Conference was a truly inspiring event! Over three dynamic days on the Gold Coast Australia, we tackled the core theme, ‘Are we there yet?’, exploring the current landscape of Advance Care Planning (ACP) from vital cultural, personal, organisational, systemic, and global angles.
The overwhelming consensus? The journey toward universal, quality ACP is not yet complete. But we didn't leave empty-handed. We depart with renewed clarity, courage, and commitment, ready to transform ACP from a hopeful aspiration into a lived reality for all people, everywhere.
Key insights driving change
The conference provided powerful perspectives, highlighting how far we've come and the innovations that will propel us forward:
- Innovations in action: Research, policy, technology, and lived experience are combining to unlock new possibilities. For example, we saw incredible presentations on using AI-driven tools to better identify and support patients who need to start the ACP conversation.
- The power of personal stories: Delegates were profoundly moved by lived experience accounts from Christina Matthews, Chris Hofmeyer, Annaliese Holland, and Courtney de Kever. Their stories served as a powerful reminder of the paramount importance of dignity, choice, and care that honours the individual, and above all, the critical need to start the conversation.
- Global strategies for local impact: Shared challenges and successful strategies will now be carried back into health systems, communities, and organisations worldwide. A notable example was the consensus on adopting standardised communication frameworks across borders to improve person-led care.
The path forward: our call to action
Thank you to every delegate for your valuable engagement and input that will shape the conference's central outcome.
In the coming weeks, the conference team will release a powerful statement, a Call to Action, informed by delegate contributions. We plan to circulate this with everyone who attended, and seek further refinement, ensuring it is a robust, actionable plan. We will then use this statement to assess progress against these vital aims at future conferences.
Stay tuned, we look forward to sharing this outcome with you soon!