Hendrickson: POLST program designed to improve end-of-life care

A relatively new and an-up-and-coming BioEthics Management consideration is the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) paradigm.  This is a program designed to improve end-of-life care by converting patients’ treatment preferences into medical orders that are transferable throughout the health care system.  It was initially developed in Oregon and is now implemented in several states with many others considering review with possible implementation. 

The program was developed to improve end-of-life care by overcoming many of the Advance Directives limitations.  It is designed to convert patient preferences for life-sustaining treatments into immediately actionable medical orders.  The form is recommended for persons who have an advanced chronic progressing illness, who might die within a year or who wish to further define their preferences for treatment.

The POLST Paradigm Program relies on teamwork and coordinated systems to ensure preferences are honored throughout the healthcare system. 

More to come on this subject down the road as our facility will be working with legal counsel and our Bio Ethics Committee in light of representing the best interests of patient care at our facility.