Advance care directives are not always helpful

Universal advance care directives may not alleviate the current difficulties surrounding end-of-life discussions

Correspondence: adrian.pokorny@sswahs.nsw.gov.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

1. National Advance Care Directives Working Group. A national framework for advance care directives. Canberra: Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council, 2011.
2. Detering KM, Hancock AD, Reade MC, Silvester W. The impact of advance care planning on end of life care in elderly patients: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2010; 340: c1345.
3. Snow D. At the very heart of life and death. Sydney Morning Herald 2013; 26 Oct. http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/at-the-very-heart-of-life-and-death-20131025-2w7a2.html (accessed Jan 2014).

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.