Consensus-informed Recommendations for A Standardized Form/Format for Levels of Intervention/Code Status in British Columbia: The FLICS Project

Background                             

BC has been a leader in Canada, and in the world, in the area of Advance Care Planning for several decades, championing patient-centred and goal-oriented care.

Although they are only a small part of the advance care planning process, Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) forms (or equivalent), in either paper or electronic format, have played a vital role in communicating health care decisions across multiple settings of care. However, there is a lack of consistent terminology and wording in these forms across BC Health Authorities and several stakeholders identified it as a priority to standardise this important communication tool across BC.

About the project

In early 2021, the BC Centre for Palliative Care (BCCPC), in response to requests from various stakeholders, began to explore interest in a consensus-informed standardized Form/Format to communicate Levels of Intervention & Code Status (the FLICS project). The goal was to collate input and identify recommendations for a standardized Form/Format for Levels of Intervention/Code Status across Health Authorities in BC.

Project components

In addition to convening a project team and an advisory committee, the FLICS project included a literature review, key informant interviews, and a Delphi process to elicit input from nurse practitioners, physicians and other key stakeholders.

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee for this project was composed of Health Authority (HA) representatives and key stakeholders. In a series of meetings, it identified widespread support for a consistent format for standardized Form/Format for Levels of Intervention/Code Status for adults in British Columbia. This included consensus regarding the content of the 6 key options and the designations to be used in both paper and electronic formats.

Project Team

Doris Barwich (MD, CCFP(PC): Chair of the Project Advisory Committee.
Julia Ridley (MD, CCFP(PC), FRCPC): Project Lead
Rachel Carson (MD, FRCPC): Project Co-Lead
Rachel Carter (PhD): Research Manager
Monika Ludwig (PhD): Research Assistant
Esther Owoyomi: Administrative Assistant

For more information

Please contact Dr. Doris Barwich, Dr. Julia Ridley or the BCCPC office for more information.

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