This study identifies a number of important findings relating to advance care planning document uptake relevant to policymakers, health and residential aged care service providers and workforce, palliative care services, researchers, and the general public.

This study uncovers the complexity and difficulty experienced by doctors when enacting Advance Care Directives (ACDs) and the deep conflict in weighing up whether to follow a patient directive.

This study aims to determine the prevalence of ACDs in records of older people in Australian hospitals, aged care facilities and general practices.

How advance care planning (ACP) is conceptualised in Australia including when, where and how ACP is best initiated, is unclear. It has been suggested that healthcare delivered in general practice provides an optimal setting for initiation of ACP discussions but uptake remains low.

This paper provides a high-level description of the components of advance care planning, an overview of the practices in each state and territory, and a brief explanation of advance care planning as it relates to aged care.