I am a: Patient | Caregiver | Physician CANCER AND BLOOD DISORDERS SERVICES AND TREATMENTS PROVIDERS CANCER CENTERS WHO WE ARE Search Share: CURRENT PATIENTS My Diagnosis Patient Resources Wellness Living with Cancer Talking About My Diagnosis Stories of Inspiration Emergency & After Hours Advance Care Planning Understanding Medical Treatment Options Choosing a Healthcare Advocate Understanding Medical Directives Advance Care Planning Frequently Asked Questions Helpful Resources Your Advance Care Planning Team National Healthcare Decisions Day COMMUNITY & SUPPORT My Community My Support How To Help a Cancer Patient ADVANCE CARE PLANNING We believe that every patient’s choices for current and future healthcare should be respected and supported. Our mission for advance care planning (ACP) is to provide an environment where each patient is able to make fully informed, thoughtful decisions regarding their current and future healthcare. Our goal is to ensure every patient has access to programs, tools, and resources to make and document those decisions, and have them respected and supported by their care team and significant others. Advance care planning is an ongoing process of learning about the choices we each have in relation to our future medical care and how each of us would want to be treated if we were not able to speak for ourselves. Advance care planning discussions can be very different, depending on an individual’s current health. For each of these individuals, the process is similar and includes: Learning about medical treatment options and the goals for those treatments Taking time to explore thoughts and feelings about lifesaving or life-sustaining treatments Choosing someone to represent their choices (healthcare advocate) if they are unable to speak for themselves Putting those wishes into writing Considerations for Advance Care Planning Regardless of current health status, ensuring that loved ones and healthcare providers are aware of your healthcare wishes is the most effective way to ensure these choices would be honored. Through several high-profile cases, recent history has revealed the private agony and public furor resulting from family and friends disagreeing upon what their loved one would have wanted. The ongoing process of conversation and documentation for your wishes serves as both a gift and protection for you and your family. Helpful Resources Download My Guide to Advance Care Planning (English) Download My Guide to Advance Care Planning (Spanish) UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL TREATMENT OPTIONS The advance care planning process can be very useful in helping individuals to understand and clarify their wishes and values as they relate to future medical treatment choices. LEARN MORE CHOOSING A HEALTHCARE ADVOCATE Perhaps one of the most important decisions to be made in the advance care planning process is choosing a healthcare advocate. LEARN MORE UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL DIRECTIVES There are several documents you’ll need to create as part of the advance care planning process. LEARN MORE ADVANCE CARE PLANNING FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Get answers to your frequently asked questions about advance care planning. LEARN MORE HELPFUL RESOURCES We’ve assembled several resources for more information about advance care planning. LEARN MORE YOUR ADVANCE CARE PLANNING TEAM Our advance care planning team is here to help you and your family as you make decisions about your healthcare. LEARN MORE NATIONAL HEALTHCARE DECISIONS DAY National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16. LEARN MORE Contact Us Cancer Centers Find a Provider Request an Appointment Contact Texas Oncology facebook youtube twitter linkedin rss Specialties Blood and Bone Marrow Transplants Colon & Rectal Surgery Genetic Risk Evaluation and Testing Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Pharmacy Services and Filling Prescriptions Radiation Therapy Texas Breast Specialists Texas Center for Proton Therapy Texas Center for Interventional Surgery Texas Colon and Rectal Specialists Texas Oncology Surgical Specialists Texas Urology Specialists Quick Resources Home Patient Forms Patient Portal Online Bill Pay Insurance Information Careers Media Center Video Library Patient Rights & Privacy Accessibility Telemedicine Texas Oncology I Can Newsletter is published monthly. To have the newsletter conveniently delivered to your email, please fill out the form below to subscribe to our newsletter. SUBSCRIBE NOW © 2021 Texas Oncology. All rights reserved.