GSS Continuing Education: Health Care Decision-Making: What Every Social Worker Needs to Know

Despite the Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990, advance care planning remains poorly understood and often completed at the very end of life. Consequently, patients are left with making difficult health care decisions in highly stressful situations and poor health. Similarly, designated health care decision-makers often need to make these decisions with little or no knowledge of the patient’s wishes. This class will provide an overview of advance care planning as an essential component of quality patient care. Advance care planning documents, such as advance directives and POLST orders, will be discussed. Strategies on how to facilitate quality advance care planning conversations will be presented, and the role of the social worker in promoting advance care planning will be elaborated upon.

Completion of this class will result in the receipt of two (2) continuing education hours.