From Prompt to Practice: Transforming Advance Care Planning Through Electronic Medical Record Innovation

Advance Care Planning (ACP) is essential to providing high‑quality, person‑centred palliative care, yet many health care teams struggle with inconsistent or incomplete documentation. This Learning Institute session will explore how thoughtful electronic medical record (EMR) design can help clinicians capture ACP discussions more accurately, efficiently, and meaningfully.

Using a real-world DNP quality-improvement project as an example, the session will show how structured EMR prompts and workflow redesign improved ACP documentation in an acute care setting. Participants will learn about the challenges that clinicians identified, the solutions that were co‑designed with frontline staff, and the measurable impact on documentation practices and communication across teams.

This session is intended for palliative care clinicians, nurses, physicians, quality‑improvement leaders, program managers, and anyone involved in ACP, documentation standards, or EMR optimization. Participants can expect practical insights into how EMR tools can support better conversations, clearer documentation, and more consistent alignment with patient values.

By attending, participants will gain:

• An understanding of common barriers to ACP documentation and how EMR design can help address them
• Examples of EMR‑based prompts and workflow improvements that support high‑quality ACP
• Lessons learned from implementing and evaluating an ACP documentation initiative
• Ideas and strategies they can adapt for their own settings, regardless of the EMR platform they use

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify at least three common barriers to high‑quality advance care planning (ACP) documentation in acute or palliative care settings.
• Describe how specific EMR design features—such as structured prompts, templates, or workflows—can improve ACP documentation quality and consistency.
• Analyze one real‑world example of an EMR-based ACP improvement initiative and identify key factors that contributed to its success.
• Explain at least two strategies they can apply in their own organization to strengthen ACP documentation using existing EMR tools or workflow adjustments.
• Evaluate how improved ACP documentation supports person‑centered care and enhances communication among interprofessional teams.

From Prompt to Practice: Transforming Advance Care Planning Through Electronic Medical Record Innovation
Wednesday, September 16. 11:30am to 3:00pm (Eastern).

Dr. Annette Meares, DNP, RN, HEC-C 

Dr. Annette Meares, DNP, HEC-C is the Program Lead for Advance Care Planning and Medical Ethics at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee and Valley West Hospitals. With over 30 years of clinical and leadership experience, she is a dedicated advocate for patient-centered, values-based care. Her background includes obstetrics and gynecology, endoscopy, and multispecialty leadership.

Dr. Meares leads system-wide efforts to integrate advance care planning and ethics into inpatient and ambulatory workflows, developing policies, education, and practices that support meaningful conversations and shared decision-making. She is known for collaborative leadership that advances evidence-based practice and empowers individuals to make informed healthcare decisions aligned with their values. Dr. Meares serves on the Northern Illinois University Alumni Association Board and Illinois POLST Committee.