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Advance care planning originally focused on the completion of advance directives and tries to address this need by preparing patients for decision-making. Advancecareplanningisnowconsideredtobea “processthat supportsadultsatanyageorstageofhealthinunderstanding and sharing their personal values, life goals, and preferencesregardingfuturemedicalcare.” 2Thereissignificant face validity to this person-centered approach: the only way for clinicians to know and honor patients’ values and goals is to ask about them. Yet research questions remain aboutwhichpatients, whichclinicians, whentostart, and the key elements that lead to benefit. This Viewpoint focuses on a related emerging construct and promising intervention, serious illness communication, and describes its components, presents evidence supporting the approach, and discusses areas for further research.