Table 5 Description of ACP Tools employed in studies included in the review

Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST), Hickman [28]

The POLST is collected through conversations between patients, relatives, and health personnel about preferences for EoLC. It is form-based and designed to function as a directive for treatment, covering issues like A-C: CPR, medical intervention, antibiotics and nutrition in case of any changes in a patient’s condition.

Gold standards frame-work for care homes (GSFCH), Hockley [24], Livingston [26]

The GSFCH is a quality improvement program with education modules that focus on ACP. The framework also aims to formalize the ACP using a form that includes open-ended questions about preferences for care and aims to determine whether a Lasting Power of Attorney is mentioned.

Let me talk, Chan & Pang [10]

Let me talk is based in four meetings sequentially covering the following themes: life stories, illness narratives, life views and end-of-life care preferences. A semi-structured interview guide assists the facilitating nurses. The sessions aims to accumulate in a personal booklet documenting the patient’s individual life stories, health care concerns, preferences for life-sustaining treatment and potential decision-maker

Let Me Decide, Caplan [27], Molloy [11]

This approach is based on conversations with patients and relatives, with the aim of completing a legally binding document which the “Let Me Decide: Health and Personal Care Directive” form is in Canada and Australia

Advance Directives Markson [25]

Here Advance Directives entailed in depth discussions between physicians, patient, and relatives, and would likely be defined as ACP today.

Making Health choices, Silvester [30]

Standardized contents of ACP discussions; should include in own words: Current health state, current goal, values & beliefs, future preferences; decision maker