Article Text
Abstract
Background Advance care planning (ACP) is rare in Japan. There are limited venues by which people can talk about death or terminal care.
Aim To determine whether a newly translated Japanese version of the Go Wish card game was effective in identifying values of highest importance in the final stages of life.
Methods Sixteen young to middle-aged community-dwelling adults (6 men; 10 women) participated in a group activity introducing a Japanese version (trial version) of the Go Wish card game. A survey assessed participants’ views on terminal care before and after group activity.
Results We collected 13 of 16 surveys. Participants’ answers to what is important in their terminal stages were: “To feel that my life is complete,” “To have a doctor who knows me as a whole person,” and “To be free from pain.” Twelve (92%) respondents indicated their values changed after the workshop. After small group discussion, the number of values each individual listed increased. All participants indicated that the card game was effective for ACP. Additionally, participants expressed more willingness to share their core values with others, felt closer to others when sharing values, felt comfortable that their values differed from others, and believed their values became clearer by verbalising and sharing them with others.
Conclusion For Japanese people who are not very good at thinking about their terminal wishes or making decisions on their own, a workshop using the Go Wish cards could be an effective tool for motivating people to consider ACP in the future.