Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination Systems (EPaCCS) are England's pre-eminent initiative enabling advance care planning, improved communication and co-ordination at end of life. Striking outcomes have been recorded around EPaCCS such as 77.8% of patients dying in their preferred place. EPaCCS have, however been extremely challenging to develop and implement with many projects remaining "under development" or folding. Rigorous research is also non-existent. This paper discusses current EPaCCS and the way forward, outlining 5 key challengers and 6 key drivers. It then proposes a number of initiatives working on information standards, re-thinking of national funding and new levels of individual and community involvement.
Petrova, M. 2018. Crash course in EPaCCS (Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination Systems:) 8 years of successes and failures in patient data sharing to learn from. BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, 8 (4) p 447 - 455.