Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42814684›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

Patients' attitudes towards advance care planning (ACP) and factors affecting ACP discussion: A cross-sectional questionnaire study.

Chee Luan Lim, Jing Xin Vanessa Phua, Yi Xuan Shannon Goh, Poay Sian Sabrina Lee, Hui Ying Valerie Teo, Wern Ee Tang

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Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Chee Luan LimMedical Department, Kallang Polyclinic, National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8381-4113
Jing Xin Vanessa PhuaClinical Research Unit, National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4892-374X
Yi Xuan Shannon GohClinical Research Unit, National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8990-9441
Poay Sian Sabrina LeeClinical Research Unit, National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4660-514X
Hui Ying Valerie TeoClinical Services, National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore.
Wern Ee TangClinical Research Unit, National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, Singapore.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe rate of advance care planning (ACP) adoption in Singapore continues to be suboptimal, despite its recognised significance. Identifying the obstacles to ACP uptake is essential for enhancing its implementation, particularly within primary care environments.

aimTo explore attitudes towards ACP and identify factors influencing ACP discussion amongst adults in public primary care setting in Singapore.

methodsA cross-sectional study was undertaken among adults aged 21 years and older at a public primary care clinic in central Singapore. Participants completed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire available in English, Chinese, and Malay, which assessed attitudes toward ACP and factors influencing its adoption. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 28.0.

resultsOf 471 questionnaires, 400 were returned (84.9% response rate), and 363 were fully completed. Participants' mean age was 56 years; 58.7% were female. Ethnic distribution matched Singapore's demographics: 72.5% Chinese, 14.0% Malay, 9.4% Indian, 4.1% others. Overall, ACP was rated as beneficial (mean score 19.96/25) and minimally burdensome (mean score 5.40/25). Fear of death was the most commonly endorsed barrier to ACP discussion (25.9%). However, fear of death was significantly less common among older adults, declining from 40.0% among participants aged 21-40 years to 14.4% among those aged ≥61 years (p < 0.001), and was also lower among participants with chronic diseases (p = 0.011) and those with family members who had experienced serious illness requiring hospitalisation (p = 0.048). Participants with history of cancer (p = 0.010) or a seriously ill family member (p = 0.001) viewed ACP more positively, while those with lower education (p = 0.023) or hypertension (p = 0.008) found ACP to be more burdensome.

conclusionPatients in primary care generally viewed ACP positively. While fear of death was the most commonly reported barrier, it was less prevalent among older adults and those with illness-related experience. Tailored, culturally sensitive strategies may help improve ACP engagement, particularly among younger and healthier individuals.

Indexed as

Advance Care PlanningAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSingaporeSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID42814684
PMCPMC13626344

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.