Respecting Choices® (RC) has an array of educational programs to support an organization or community transformation to a person-centered healthcare culture. The curriculum includes both communication skills and education for health professionals and others as well as design and implementation strategies for improving systems and workflows to make person-centered goals the routines of care.
The communication skills curriculum includes:
- Certification programs for First Steps® (FS), Next Steps (NS), and Last Steps® (LS) ACP Facilitators and Instructors.
- Fellowship-like program to mentor and support individuals to become RC Organization Faculty (OF).
- Physician and provider curriculum to learn communication skills promoting shared decision-making conversations and assisting to align care and treatment with what matters most.
- Online curriculum (in development) for physicians and other providers to assist in their roles of initiating and guiding basic (i.e., FS) conversations.
- Online curriculum for FS, NS, and LS.
Education alone is not sufficient to achieve success in transforming the healthcare culture. Systems must be designed that allow new workflows, processes, and materials to be hardwired into the routines of care. RC offers design and implementation programs that include:
- Leadership recommendations to integrate the RC program into strategic initiatives and position the program for long-term sustainability.
- Key elements in building an ACP infrastructure for person-centered decision making
- Project implementation strategies to test and refine new processes and materials on a small scale prior to widespread dissemination.
- A model for continuous quality improvement based on the “Five Promises” of an ACP System
Respecting Choices® Certification Programs
Becoming certified is a common practice in many professions. Certification indicates that the individual has achieved a high level of knowledge and competence to conduct a specific activity or service. Currently, no other national organizations provide or approve certification in the field of advance care planning (ACP). Because of its long history of providing education and having the best evidence for successful ACP implementation, RC decided to certify those who successfully complete its curriculum and demonstrate communication skill competency.
Respecting Choices® Certification Disclaimer
The term “certification,” as used in the Respecting Choices® (RC) certification programs, means that RC issues a certificate upon fulfillment of the following elements:
- Completion of a specified RC educational program with standardized content and processes.
- Successful demonstration of skills associated with the specified RC program.
- If applicable, an 80% or higher score on a written examination associated with the specified RC program.
The Respecting Choices® certification programs are not credentialed by a national accreditation body.
