The Impact of an Advance Care Planning Game on Life-Sustaining Treatment Preferences, Depression, and Hope in Older Adults With Stroke

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

ACP Block Game Intervention: The "LOHAS Journey" Advance Care Planning (ACP) block game serves as an intervention. This non-invasive intervention, themed around a game-like journey, guides participants through various scenarios, allowing them to express their healthcare preferences through the blocks. The inclusion of "Hope Blocks" transforms several scenarios related to stroke and cancer, helping participants strengthen their hope for healthcare. The game also provides support tabs highlighting personal resources and potential future healthcare decision-makers. Beyond discussing life-sustaining treatment preferences, the game encourages expressing warm emotions such as gratitude and love.

Study summary

Stroke is the world's third leading cause of death and a major source of disability, with high rates of recurrence and mortality that often limit patients' ability to express their values and treatment preferences. This highlights the importance of Advance Care Planning (ACP) after stroke. This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of an ACP block-based game on life-sustaining treatment preferences, depression, and hope among adults aged 65-100 with subacute stroke in a regional teaching hospital. The Life Support Preferences Questionnaire (LSPQ) served as the primary outcome to assess preference changes immediately after the intervention and at four weeks, while the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Herth Hope Index (HHI) were secondary measures. The intervention used the "LOHAS Journey" ACP game, which applies travel-themed scenarios, blocks to express medical choices, hope-enhancing elements, and companion cards emphasizing personal resources and potential surrogate decision-makers, while also encouraging warm emotional expression. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were used to analyze repeated measures and time-by-group effects. If effective, this ACP game may support broader clinical adoption of structured discussions on life-sustaining treatment preferences for older stroke patients.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• life support preferences questionnaire; LSPQ — From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 weeks
  The questionnaire is designed to assess participants' preferences for various life-sustaining treatments across six medical scenarios and five treatment options. The maximum possible score is 150 and the minimum is 25. Higher scores indicate a greater willingness to receive life-sustaining medical treatments.

Trial sites (1)

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