Open AccessAdvance care planning in same-sex couples
Author(s) -
Masil George,
Justin M. McLawhorn,
Gohar Azhar,
Diane Jarrett,
Daniel A. Knight
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
case reports in internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2332-7251
pISSN - 2332-7243
DOI - 10.5430/crim.v5n1p26
Subject(s) - advance care planning , psychology , health care , population , nursing , medicine , palliative care , political science , environmental health , law
Advance care planning (ACP) is a process in which an individual’s goals, desires, and preferences regarding health care during a serious illness or end of life are explored by the clinician through conversations with the patient and their families. ACP is underutilized among same-sex couples. In our case report we describe a same-sex couple who did not have an ACP. The gap in current practice is primarily due to provider discomfort or unfamiliarity in discussing end of life care issues especially in same-sex couples. If not remedied, this could negatively impact the physical and emotional health in this vulnerable population leading to health disparities.