Table 2 ACP questions and class membership based on prior ACP knowledge for veterans enrolled in VHA who participated in ACP-GV during fiscal years of 2018–2022 (N = 26,857)

Q1: How knowledgeable are you about advance care planning

Responses, N (%)

Not at all

5,386

20.05%

1,124

10.26%

4,262

35.32%

A little bit

6,960

25.92%

2,747

25.08%

4,213

34.91%

Moderately

4,845

18.04%

2,859

26.10%

1,986

16.46%

Quite a bit

2,784

10.37%

2,429

22.18%

355

2.94%

Extremely

782

2.91%

702

6.41%

80

0.66%

Missing/No response

6,100

22.71%

1,091

9.96%

1,172

9.71%

Q2: I have thought about what I would want if I were hurt, injured or sick and could not communicate:

Yes

16,418

61.13%

10,280

93.86%

6,138

50.86%

No

5,155

19.19%

300

2.74%

4,855

40.23%

Missing/No response

5,284

19.68%

372

3.40%

1,075

8.91%

Q3: I have thought about my treatment preferences if I could not communicate them during a mental health episode:

Yes

11,411

42.49%

7,865

71.81%

3,546

29.38%

No

8,578

31.94%

1,771

16.17%

6,807

56.41%

Missing/No response

6,868

25.58%

1,316

12.02%

1,715

14.21%

Q4: I have talked with someone I trust to make healthcare decisions for me;

Yes

13,984

52.07%

10,231

93.42%

3,753

31.1%

No

7,487

27.88%

225

2.05%

7,262

60.18%

Missing/No response

5,386

20.06%

496

4.53%

1,053

8.73%

Q5: I have named someone to make healthcare decisions for me:

Yes

11,357

42.29%

9,765

89.16%

1,592

13.19%

No

10,442

38.88%

772

7.05%

9,670

80.13%

Missing/No response

5,058

18.84%

415

3.79%

806

6.68%

Q6: I have discussed these topics with someone on my healthcare team (such as a doctor, nurse or social worker);

Yes

7,094

26.41%

5,622

51.33%

1,472

12.2%

No

14,487

53.94%

4,636

42.33%

9,851

81.63%

Missing/No response

5,276

19.64%

694

6.34%

745

6.18%

Q7: I have filled out an advance directive (also known as ‘living will’) to guide those I trust to make healthcare decisions for me;

Yes

6,933

25.81%

6,362

58.09%

571

4.73%

No

14,909

55.51%

4,179

38.16%

10,730

88.91%

Missing/No response

5,015

18.68%

411

3.75%

767

6.36%

Questions and responses to be completed by the participant at end of ACP-GV

Q8: How much has your knowledge increased about advance care planning?;

Not at all

549

2.04%

274

2.5%

272

2.25%

A little bit

1,047

3.9%

530

4.84%

509

4.22%

Moderately

3,994

14.87%

1,724

15.74%

2,251

18.65%

Quite a bit

9,002

33.52%

4,188

38.24%

4,789

39.68%

Extremely

3,711

13.82%

1,932

17.64%

1,763

14.61%

Missing/No Response

8,554

31.85%

2,304

21.03%

2,484

20.59%

Q11: How likely are you to take this next step?;

Definitely will not

320

1.19%

174

1.59%

139

1.15%

Probably will not

220

0.82%

79

0.72%

139

1.15%

Not sure

893

3.33%

250

2.28%

633

5.25%

Probably

3,090

11.51%

1,146

10.46%

1,922

15.93%

Definitely will

6,948

25.87%

3,536

32.29%

3,347

27.73%

Missing/No Response

15,386

57.29%

5,767

52.65%

5,888

48.79%