Promising Impact of Telenovela Intervention for Caregivers of Hospice Patients: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Hospice family caregivers (HFCGs) support the needs of their loved ones but are at risk of developing distress and anxiety. NOVELA is a four-chapter telenovela-style educational video to support topics related to hospice caregiving. Telehealth visits are scheduled in 4 weekly sessions consisting of a chapter and subsequent discussion with an interventionist. This feasibility pilot study tested NOVELA's effect to change HFCGs' outcomes, session and outcome measure completion (defined a priori as >70%). METHODS: This is a single-group pretest-posttest study of HFCGs of care recipients with PPS score >20% from 3 hospices in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region. At baseline and at final posttest, participants completed a web-based survey assessing 3 outcomes: anxiety, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with intervention. Descriptive, t-test, and chi-square statistics were computed. RESULTS: Participants in our study (N = 59) were mainly collage educated, White, female, adult children of home-bound people with a non-cancer diagnosis. Outcomes changed in the expected direction (P > .05) with higher self-efficacy (Cohen's d = -.08 [95% CI -.4 to .2) and lower anxiety (Cohen's d = .2 [95% CI -.1 to .5]) scores from final to baseline, 86% of HFCGs were satisfied or very satisfied with NOVELA, session (33/59) and outcome measure (43/59) completion averaged 68%. CONCLUSION: Encouraging trends in NOVELA's estimation of effect suggests that NOVELA may buffer stressful aspects of hospice caregiving. However, further refinement of NOVELA is needed. Supporting HFCGs through supportive educational interventions may reduce distress and anxiety with broad implications for quality improvement.

Social support network factors associated with verbal fluency among vulnerable persons living with HIV.

Vulnerable persons living with HIV (PLWH) are at high risk of cognitive impairment and challenges accessing quality social support in later life. Impaired verbal fluency (VF), a cognitive domain linked to HIV, could impede social support associated with health and well-being for already vulnerable PLWH. We examined the structure of social support, using latent class analysis, and the associations among quantity, specific forms and quality of social support and VF among PLWH. Participants enrolled in the BEACON study (n = 383) completed the Controlled Oral Word Association test (COWAT) and a social support network inventory. Latent class analysis with count variables was used to determine the number of classes of PLWH based on their social network characteristics. The majority of PLWH were male (61.4%) and African American (85.9%). Two distinct latent classes, with a major distinction in the number of network members who were female, knew participants' HIV status and HIV medication usage. Fewer support network members (ß = -.13, p < 0.01), greater negative interactions (ß = -.16, p < 0.01), and less positive interactions with network members (ß = .15, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with lower COWAT scores. Comprehensive screening of high-risk PLWH and early intervention with those with cognitive impairment are important for addressing social support needs.

Black Caregivers' Symptom Management, Cultural, and Religious Experiences With Home Hospice Care.

CONTEXT: Informal Black or African American (Black/AA) caregivers are at high risk for caregiver burden due to both greater caregiving responsibilities and unmet needs. However, there has been minimal research on the challenges Black/AA caregivers face after hospice enrollment. OBJECTIVES: This study seeks to address this knowledge gap by applying qualitative methods to understand Black/AA caregivers' experiences around symptom management, cultural, and religious challenges during home hospice care. METHODS: Data from small group discussions with 11 bereaved Black/AA caregivers of patients who received home hospice care were qualitatively analyzed. RESULTS: Caregivers struggled most with managing patients' pain, lack of appetite, and decline near end of life (EoL). Cultural needs (e.g., knowing their language, having familiarity with foods) were perceived as not on top of mind for many Black/AA caregivers. However, there was a concern of stigma around mental health preventing care recipients from sharing their mental health concerns and seeking resources. Many caregivers relied on their personal religious networks rather than services provided by hospice chaplains. Lastly, caregivers reported increased burden during this phase of caregiving but were satisfied with the overall hospice experience. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that tailored approaches that target mental health stigma in the Black/AA community and reduce caregiver distress around end of life symptoms may improve hospice outcomes among Black/AA hospice caregivers. Hospice spiritual services should consider offering services complementary to caregivers' existing religious networks. Future qualitative and quantitative studies should examine the clinical implications of these results in terms of patient, caregiver, and hospice outcomes.

Advance Care Planning for Spanish-Language Speakers: Patient, Family, and Interpreter Perspectives.

Language access barriers for individuals with limited-English proficiency are a challenge to advance care planning (ACP). Whether Spanish-language translations of ACP resources are broadly acceptable by US Spanish-language speakers from diverse countries is unclear. This ethnographic qualitative study ascertained challenges and facilitators to ACP with respect to Spanish-language translation of ACP resources. We conducted focus groups with a heterogeneous sample of 29 Spanish-speaking persons who had experience with ACP as a patient, family member, and/or medical interpreter. We conducted thematic analysis with axial coding. Themes include: (1). ACP translations are confusing; (2). ACP understanding is affected by country of origin; (3). ACP understanding is affected by local healthcare provider culture and practice; and (4). ACP needs to be normalized into local communities. ACP is both a cultural and clinical practice. Recommendations for increasing ACP uptake extend beyond language translation to acknowledging users' culture of origin and local healthcare culture.

Recruitment, Retention and Intervention Delivery Experiences With Hospice Family Caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Recruitment and attrition are inherently challenging issues in hospice research. We sought to describe strategies of recruitment, retention, and delivery of NOVELA (short for telenovela), an intervention for hospice family caregivers (HFCG). METHODS: Statistics were kept of every referral, consenting participant, visit session, and intervention activity. We used the Social Marketing Mix Framework to describe recruiting strategies employed and lessons learned. RESULTS: Two hospices in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region referred 47 HFCG and N = 20 agreed to participate, out of which 50% (N = 10) completed all 4 sessions with an average of 2.8 sessions per person, each lasting an average duration of 13.5 minutes (range 8.0-25.7). The main reason for missing a session was a patient's death (N = 8). Successful recruitment strategies employed in NOVELA included: (a) intensive start-up hospice engagement, (b) remote recruitment and delivery of NOVELA, and (c) scheduling flexibility to work around caregivers' other demands. CONCLUSION: The recruitment and intervention delivery had successes and challenges resulting in the identification of multiple opportunities to strengthen our strategy and inform future studies with HFCGs.

Advance Care Planning in Serious Illness: A Narrative Review.

CONTEXT: Advance care planning (ACP) intends to support person-centered medical decision-making by eliciting patient preferences. Research has not identified significant associations between ACP and goal-concordant end-of-life care, leading to justified scientific debate regarding ACP utility. OBJECTIVE: To delineate ACP's potential benefits and missed opportunities and identify an evidence-informed, clinically relevant path ahead for ACP in serious illness. METHODS: We conducted a narrative review merging the best available ACP empirical data, grey literature, and emergent scholarly discourse using a snowball search of PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar (2000-2022). Findings were informed by our team's interprofessional clinical and research expertise in serious illness care. RESULTS: Early ACP practices were largely tied to mandated document completion, potentially failing to capture the holistic preferences of patients and surrogates. ACP models focused on serious illness communication rather than documentation show promising patient and clinician results. Ideally, ACP would lead to goal-concordant care even amid the unpredictability of serious illness trajectories. But ACP might also provide a false sense of security that patients' wishes will be honored and revisited at end-of-life. An iterative, 'building block' framework to integrate ACP throughout serious illness is provided alongside clinical practice, research, and policy recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: We advocate a balanced approach to ACP, recognizing empirical deficits while acknowledging potential benefits and ethical imperatives (e.g., fostering clinician-patient trust and shared decision-making). We support prioritizing patient/surrogate-centered outcomes with more robust measures to account for interpersonal clinician-patient variables that likely inform ACP efficacy and may better evaluate information gleaned during serious illness encounters.

Hospice Family Caregiver Perceptions of Benefits and Challenges of a Telenovela Educational Intervention.

Background: Telenovelas show significant promise as a mode of education that could potentially enhance hospice family caregivers' (HFCG) ability to manage distress or pain for themselves and the care recipient. Objectives: We sought to understand HFCGs' perceived benefits and challenges of NOVELA using the Levels of Kirkpatrick as a conceptual framework. Setting/Subjects: HFCGs from two hospices in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Measurements: Semistructured interviews were conducted to understand perceptions of HFCGs on the benefits and challenges of the NOVELA intervention. Results: Participants (N = 20) in our study were mainly homebound, well educated, White female, and adult children of people with advanced cancer who reported mild anxiety and moderate self-efficacy at baseline. Three unique themes were identified: acceptability of NOVELA, usability and relevance of NOVELA, and the effect of NOVELA. According to our conceptual model, the intervention positively affects all three adult learning categories: reaction, learning, and behavior. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that HFCGs support the proposed NOVELA intervention and it appears to be an acceptable educational tool during hospice care (NCT04533594).

Family Conflict Non-negotiation and HIV Disclosure Associated With ART Adherence in a Disadvantaged Population.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is vital for reducing racial and gender disparities in morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). Little research attention has been given to aspects of family functioning affecting ART adherence among PLWH vulnerable to disparities. Data were from n = 313 participants (93% African American) in the BEACON study, which recruited injection-drug-using PLWH on ART. Using factor analysis and longitudinal structural equation modeling, we found that current substance use and negative family conflict tactics (i.e., non-negotiation) predicted PLWH's lower probability of ART adherence at 12-month follow-up; and greater HIV disclosure to support network members predicted a higher probability of adherence. These findings suggest the importance of family and other support network members in this vulnerable population's ART adherence. Social network-focused interventions promoting prosocial response to conflict and negotiation skills are important for improving vulnerable PLWH's HIV outcomes and reducing health disparities.

Facebook Online Support Groups for Hospice Family Caregivers of Advanced Cancer Patients: Protocol, Facilitation Skills and Promising Outcomes.

Research has demonstrated a lack of support for hospice caregivers and a higher than average level of self-reported anxiety and depression. While online support groups are gaining popularity, few protocols have been published, little research has demonstrated the skills required to facilitate, and virtually no data has explored the clinical outcomes affiliated with participation in such groups. This paper presents the preliminary experience and results of a clinical trial testing the use of online support groups designed to both educate and provide social support to caregivers of hospice cancer patients. A detailed protocol outlines educational strategies, discussion questions, and a blueprint outlining ways to engage participants. A review of field notes completed by the interventionist reveal specific facilitation skills and strategies used to engage participants. Finally, preliminary analysis of 78 participants shows the group is having a statistically significant impact on the caregiver depression.

Caregiver role strain in caring for vulnerable persons living with HIV: correlates of caregiver and care recipient reports.

Informal care of family and friends is important for the health and well-being of disadvantaged persons living with HIV (PLWH). Caregiver role strain may threaten the function and continuity of their main relationships and their health impacts. Data were from a disadvantaged, primarily African American, sample of PLWH care recipients. Caregiver role strain was operationalized as a latent factor measured by variables including PLWH's perceptions of their caregiver not wanting or complaining about helping them or wanting a break. We found that greater caregiver role strain was associated with higher levels of HIV-related stigma and depressive symptoms. Lower role strain was associated with more collaborative problem solving and shared medical treatment decision-making. Caregiver role strain was linked to disadvantaged PLWHs' worse stigma and mental health; collaborative engagement in care and coping assistance were protective of role strain. Caregiving relationship-focused research and interventions are needed for resourcing and sustaining disadvantaged African American communities' caregiving and health.

Comparison of Traditional Videos With Telenovelas for Hospice Family Caregivers Education.

BACKGROUND: While research has shown that hospice family caregivers (HFCG) seek additional information related to patient care, pain and symptom management, and self-care, it is unknown how the use of telenovela videos for education in hospice would be received by HFCG. OBJECTIVE: To explore HFCG perceived benefits and challenges with the use of telenovelas as compared to traditional educational videos during online support group. METHODS: A mixed methods study with a concurrent triangulated design that analyzed qualitative interviews and YouTube analytics report to identify how viewers responded (number of views and their feedback) to telenovela videos as compared to traditional educational videos. RESULTS: Among 39 (n = 39) HFCGs, most participants were female (80%) of White/Caucasian race, with more than high school education (85%) and they were adult children of hospice cancer patient (49%). Comparing HFCG that viewed traditional videos with HFCG that viewed telenovela videos, the telenovela video was watched more (12% longer viewing duration) and caregivers reported better content recall with informative benefits, more follow up actions and reflection about their own hospice experience. CONCLUSION: Caregiver feedback indicated that watching the telenovela was engaging, acceptable and produced more conversations about patient care, than watching a non-telenovela format video. Further research is needed to test telenovela efficacy in enhancing HFCG outcomes.

Juntos: A Model for Language Congruent Care to Better Serve Spanish-Speaking Patients with COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exacerbated pre-existing health disparities and disproportionately affected the Latino community. Clinicians identified communication barriers as a major challenge in care for COVID-19 Latino patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). To address these challenges, Juntos (Together) consult service was established to promote language-congruent care with cultural sensitivity, identify barriers to safe discharge, and facilitate referral to appropriate resources. Spanish speaking volunteer health care providers worked synergistically with medical teams caring for LEP Latino patients. Volunteers were trained on consultant responsibilities and discharge planning resources. The program was evaluated by a satisfaction survey distributed to providers who requested a Juntos consult and Juntos volunteers. Between May 5 and July 30, 2020, 19 individuals volunteered time to the Juntos consult service, 12 (63%) Latinos, 14 (74%) physicians, and 5 (26%) staff. The service supported 127 patients, 76 (60%) males, mean age 42 (±16), 83 (65%) uninsured, and 91 (72%) without primary care. The most common referral sources were medical units (52, 41%) and intensive care units (47, 37%). The most common services offered were family engagement (55, 43%), goals of care (35, 28%), and mental status assessment (26, 20%). The majority of providers who consulted Juntos were very satisfied (48/59, 81%) with the care delivered. The Juntos service offered critical support tailored to the patients' and primary teams' needs. The experience reinforced the need for cultural-based communication to provide optimal care to LEP patients. The Juntos consult service could be a model for providing language-congruent care even beyond COVID-19, but to do so will require institutional investment and rigorous outcomes evaluation.

Reflections of Hospice Staff Members About Educating Hospice Family Caregivers Through Telenovela.

OBJECTIVE: Hospice family caregivers are seeking additional information related to patient care, pain and symptom management, and self-care. This study interviewed hospice staff about the potential dissemination of bilingual telenovelas to address these caregiver needs. METHODS: Qualitative structured phone interviews were conducted with 22 hospice professionals from 17 different hospice organizations in 3 different Midwest states. The interviews were conducted from October to December 2019. Hospice staff volunteers were recruited from conferences, then individual interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematic analysis was conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of how to best implement telenovela video education into hospice care. RESULTS: Most participants were hospice nurses (36%) located primarily in Missouri (91%), with a mean of 9 years of experience. Three discrete themes emerged, the educational resources currently provided to patient/families, perceptions of the usefulness of telenovelas for education, and practical suggestions regarding the dissemination of telenovelas. The development of 4 telenovela videos covering different topics is described. CONCLUSION: Hospice staff responded favorably to the concept of telenovelas and identified important keys for dissemination.

Quality of Life Among Caregivers of a Vulnerable Population Living with HIV: Caregiving and Relationship Factors.

Literature on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has focused on people living with chronic conditions, with less attention given to HRQOL among informal caregivers. We used cross-sectional dyadic data from both care recipients (CR) living with HIV and the person they identified as their primary informal (unpaid) caregiver (CG) to identify psychosocial and caregiving relationship factors (including, CG role ambivalence and caregiving-related stress) associated with CG HRQOL. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling testing. The results highlight interdependent effects of the CG-CR relationship and reveal pathways whereby relationship interactions positively and negatively impact CGs' HRQOL. Affiliative stigma, CG-CR communication, CRs' reciprocity of support and other psychosocial factors indirectly and differentially affected physical and mental HRQOL through effects on secondary stress and role ambivalence. Dyad-focused intervention on interpersonal communication and support exchange may improve HRQOL and resilience of CGs of vulnerable people living with HIV.

RESUMEN: La literatura sobre calidad de vida relacionada con la salud (CVRS) se ha centrado en las personas que viven con enfermedades crónicas, con menos atención a la CVRS entre los cuidadores informales. Utilizamos datos diádicos transversales de recibidores de cuidado (RC) que viven con VIH y de la persona que identificaron como su principal cuidador informal (no remunerado) (CI) para identificar los factores psicosociales y en la relación de cuidado (incluyendo la ambivalencia del rol de CI y del estrés) asociado con calidad de vida. Realizamos análisis factoriales confirmatorios y pruebas de modelación de ecuaciones estructurales. Los resultados demostraron los efectos interdependientes de la relación entre el cuidador y el recibidor de cuidado y revelan cómo las interacciones de la relación impactan la calidad de vida de los cuidadores. El estigma, la comunicación en la relación, la reciprocidad de apoyo de los recibidores de cuidado y otros factores psicosociales afectaron indirecta y diferencialmente la calidad de vida física y mental a través de los efectos sobre el estrés secundario y la ambivalencia de roles. Las intervenciones diádicas centradas en la comunicación interpersonal y la facilitación de apoyo pueden mejorar la calidad de vida y la capacidad de recuperación de los cuidadores de las personas vulnerables que viven con el VIH.

The evidence supporting educational videos for patients and caregivers receiving hospice and palliative care: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to explore the evidence surrounding educational videos for patients and family caregivers in hospice and palliative care. We ask three research questions: 1. What is the evidence for video interventions? 2. What is the quality of the evidence behind video interventions? 3. What are the outcomes of video interventions? METHODS: The study is a systematic review, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Researchers systematically searched five databases for experimental and observational studies on the evidence supporting video education for hospice and palliative care patients and caregivers, published in 1969-2019. RESULTS: The review identified 31 relevant articles with moderate-high quality of evidence. Most studies were experimental (74 %), came from the United States (84 %) and had a mean sample size of 139 participants. Studies showed that video interventions positively affect preferences of care and advance care planning, provide emotional support, and serve as decision and information aids. CONCLUSION: A strong body of evidence has emerged for video education interventions in hospice and palliative care. Additional research assessing video interventions' impact on clinical outcomes is needed. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Videos are a promising tool for patient and family education in hospice and palliative care.

Factors influencing engagement in an online support group for family caregivers of individuals with advanced cancer.

Objective: To explore factors that influenced engagement in an online support group (OSG) for family caregivers of hospice patients with cancer.Design: Secondary qualitative data analysis.Sample: 58 family caregivers of hospice patients with advanced cancer.Methods: Template analysis of individual family caregiver interviews.Findings: Emotional isolation and caregiving downtime positively influenced engagement, while reluctance to share personal information, a short timeframe of participation in the OSG, and caregiving commitments were negatively influential. While the group facilitation and secure privacy settings of the OSG were viewed positively, reactions to the OSG platform and group tone were mixed. Information on pain and the dying process was found to be particularly engaging.Practice implications: Providers offering OSGs for family caregivers should maximize factors that promote meaningful member engagement, responding to changes in activity and tone over time.

Support Network Factors Associated With Naming a Health Care Decision-Maker and Talking About Advance Care Planning Among People Living With HIV.

CONTEXT: Little attention has been given to social environmental factors associated with advance care planning (ACP) among African Americans or people living with advanced HIV (PLHIV). OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to identify support network factors that affect the likelihood of naming a decision-maker and of talking to family/friends and doctors about ACP among vulnerable PLHIV. METHODS: PLHIV were recruited from a large urban HIV clinic. A social support network inventory was used to calculate number of persons available for various types of support. Characteristics of network members were also collected. Multivariable logistic regression models were fit to examine associations between social network factors and ACP discussion, adjusting for age, sex, education, and total number of network members. RESULTS: The sample (N = 370) was mostly African American (95%), male (56%), and 48% had less than a high school education. Almost half the sample (48%) had talked to their family/friends or doctor about ACP, and 34% had named a medical decision-maker. Adjusted analysis revealed that talking about ACP with family/friends was associated with female sex and a larger closer support network who provided health information and physical assistance. Talking to doctors about ACP was associated with larger support networks who provided physical assistance but lower numbers from whom emotional support was received. Naming a decision-maker was associated with greater numbers of network members who provided emotional support, health information, and medication adherence reminders. CONCLUSION: The findings revealed aspects of family/support network structures and caregiving function associated with ACP in a population with often vital yet vulnerable networks.

Chronic Pain, Functional Status, and Life Satisfaction Are Associated With Patients Living With HIV Discussing Advance Care Planning With Their Family or Friends.

CONTEXT: In the era of effective antiretroviral therapy, persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are living longer, transforming HIV from a universally fatal disease to a serious chronic illness, warranting discussions between patients and their loved ones about advance care planning (ACP). Evidence is needed on factors associated with patients' likelihood to discuss ACP with loved ones. OBJECTIVES: To further characterize factors associated with successful ACP in PLWHAs with their loved ones, we examined associations between patients having ACP discussions with the need for assistance with personal care, chronic pain, life satisfaction, prior family disagreements over health care decisions, sex, age, and interference in daily routines due to memory problems. METHODS: Data were from the Affirm Care study (N = 370), which examined social and environmental factors associated with health outcomes among PLWHAs and their informal caregivers. RESULTS: Slightly more than half of respondents discussed ACP with loved ones (57%). In adjusted analysis, higher levels of chronic pain (odds ratio [OR] = 2.09, P = 0.045), needing assistance with personal care (OR = 1.63, P = 0.023), greater life satisfaction (OR = 1.02, P = 0.002), prior family arguments over health care decisions (OR = 2.80, P < 0.001), and female sex (OR = 2.22, P = 0.001) were associated with higher odds of discussing ACP with loved ones, whereas age, drug use, education level, depression, and memory problems were nonsignificant. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that interventions to increase ACP among PLWHAs and their loved ones should target males. The findings also suggest PLWHAs with chronic pain, the need for assistance with personal care, and those with a history of prior family arguments over health care decisions may be primed for ACP.

Adherence to Measuring What Matters: Description of an Inpatient Palliative Care Service of an Urban Teaching Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Benefits of palliative care have been extensively described; however, reports on adherence to national quality indicators are limited. OBJECTIVES: This study focuses on describing the characteristics of patients who were seen at an urban academic hospital and their care team's adherence to 5 out of 10 Measuring What Matters (MWM) quality indicators. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review Setting/Subjects: Patients seen by inpatient palliative care service from January 2014 to December 2015 in an urban academic hospital. MEASUREMENTS: Patient age, gender, ethnicity, disease category, discharge end point, life-sustaining preferences, surrogate decision-maker documentation, and initial palliative assessment were analyzed using descriptive, parametric, and nonparametric statistics. RESULTS: During two years, 1272 patients were seen by the inpatient palliative care service. Fifty-one percent of patients were male, with an average age of 68 years. The majority were Caucasian (57%) and African American (41%). Life-limiting illnesses included were cancer, complex chronic illnesses, and gastrointestinal illness. Adherence to comprehensive palliative care assessment was measured at 64%; initial visit assessment for physical symptoms was 38%; code status preference was 99%; care consistent with preference in vulnerable elders was 99%; and surrogate documentation was noted at 33%. Compared to hospital patients discharged without hospice, patients discharged with hospice care had consults with higher adherence to comprehensive assessment and surrogate documentation quality standards (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to MWM measures was variable. Subjects discharged with hospice services were more likely to receive comprehensive assessment within 5 days of admission and surrogate documentation compared to those subjects without hospice care.

Connecting Personal Experiences of Loss and Professional Practices in Advance Care Planning and End-of-Life Care: A Survey of Providers.

BACKGROUND: Although practitioners overwhelmingly agree on the importance of advance care planning (ACP) and preparing for the end of life (EOL), the process is fraught with barriers. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this research was to explore potential connections between providers' own personal experiences and current professional practices in ACP and EOL care. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design, gathering voluntary, anonymous responses from participants between August and December 2016. The survey sought information from providers in 3 distinct areas: (1) personal experiences of loss, (2) personal ACP, and (3) professional practices related to ACP and EOL care. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and ninety health-care professionals (primarily physicians, nurses, and social workers) participated in the survey across a greater, Metropolitan area in the Midwest. MEASUREMENTS: Questions for professional practices were subscales from the End-of-Life Professional Caregiver Survey: Patient- and Family-Centered Communication (PFCC) and Effective Care Delivery (ECD). Questions developed by the research team were evaluated by judges chosen for clinical and/or research expertise. RESULTS: Numerous connections were found between professionals' histories of loss, personal ACP, and professional practices. For example, both clinicians with personal experience caring for someone who is dying and clinicians who had completed their own ACP scored higher in both PFCC and ECD and were more likely to refer patients to hospice and palliative care. CONCLUSIONS: Results support educational interventions involving opportunities for reflection and completion and communication about ACP. Additionally, educational opportunities for students in health care should focus on incorporating both ACP and greater exposure to hospice and palliative care.