Background Mortality forecasts associated with COVID-19 stressed a need to prepare adults with advanced disease for possible severe illness and engage with Advance Care Planning (ACP). We aimed to examine ACP engagement and activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods A retrospective cohort study, comparing the creation, content and use of Coordinate My Care (CMC) records in London prior to and during the onset of COVID-19. Records for people aged 18+, created and published in pre-pandemic period (2018–2019) and ‘wave 1’ (W1) of COVID-19 (20/03/20–04/07/20) were extracted. Demographics, ACP-related content and the use of CMC records created were analysed and compared using descriptive statistics.

Results 56,343 records were included, 35,108 from the pre-pandemic period and 21,235 records from W1. The average records created each week rose by 296.9% (P<0.005) in W1. There were fewer records in W1 for those aged 80 years (60.8% vs 64.9% pre-pandemic, P<0.005) and who had WHO performance status 4 (34.8% vs 44.2% pre pandemic, P<0.005). More people who created records during W1 had an estimated prognosis of 1 year+ (73.3% vs 53.0% pre-pandemic, P<0.005), were ‘For Resuscitation’ (38.2% vs 29.8% pre-pandemic, P<0.005) and had a Treatment Ceiling of ‘Full Active Treatment’ (32.4% vs 25.7%, P<0.005). More people in W1 listed hospital as their preferred place of care (PPC) and preferred place of death (PPD) (PPC: 13.3% vs 5.8% pre-pandemic, P<0.005. PPD: 14.0% vs 7.9%, P<0.005). Average monthly non-urgent and urgent record views rose by 320.3% (P=0.02) and 154.3% (P=0.01) in W1.

Conclusions A large uptake in engagement with ACP is demonstrated during the 1st wave of the pandemic. An increase in use among younger, more independent patients with longer prognoses, with a higher preference for hospital care creating records in W1 compared to before the pandemic, suggests heightened awareness and provision of ACP at this time.