Association of Participation in an End-of-Life Conversation Game With Advance Care Planning Behavior and Perspectives Among African American Individuals

Key Points Question Can a low-cost, easily scaled, end-of-life conversation game motivate underserved African American individuals to engage in advance care planning? Findings This national mixed-methods cohort study reaching 384 underserved African American individuals found that high rates of advance care planning behavior were associated with participation in game events at community venues. Meaning The end-of-life conversation game may be a useful tool for engaging underserved African American communities in advance care planning, a step toward reducing health disparities related to end-of-life care.
Importance Less than 25% of African American individuals have completed advance directives and are thus vulnerable to poor end-of-life care. Low-cost interventions are needed to increase engagement in advance care planning (ACP). Objectives To investigate whether an end-of-life conversation game motivates African American attendees to engage in ACP and to assess whether the game is well received and endorsed. Exposures Attendance at an end-of-life conversation game (Hello) played in groups of 4 to 6 participants for 60 minutes. Design, Setting, and Participants Prospective, mixed-methods cohort study conducted from 2018 to 2019 with a 3- to 11-month follow-up interview. Game events were held in 53 community venues across the US; 15 were purposively sampled for onsite research procedures. Of 428 attendees at purposively sampled sites, 386 (90%) consented to research procedures (6 attendees were removed from analysis for protocol deviation). Of 367 attendees who provided accurate contact information, 232 (63%) were contacted, and 220 were included in follow-up analyses. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was advance directive completion rates after the intervention. Secondary outcomes included rates of other ACP behaviors, ACP engagement, conversation satisfaction and realism, and participants’ Net Promoter Score (a measure of endorsement). Follow-up telephone interviews explored the game experience and relevant ACP behaviors of attendees. Results Of 380 individuals who participated (mean [SD] age, 62.2 [13.8] years; 304 were female [80%], and 348 were [92%] African American), none withdrew because of an adverse event. After the intervention, 91 of 220 attendees (41%) completed a new advance directive; 176 of 220 attendees (80%) discussed end-of-life wishes with loved ones, and 214 of 219 attendees (98%) completed at least 1 ACP behavior. There was a moderate increase in the self-efficacy domain on the ACP Engagement Survey (mean [SD] change from before to after the game, 0.54 [0.98]; P
This national mixed-methods cohort study investigates whether an end-of-life conversation game is well received and endorsed and motivates advance care planning among underserved African American individuals.