The need for POLST: Minnesota's initiative

Area of Science:

• Medical Practice
• Healthcare Policy
• Patient Advocacy

Background:

• Advance directives are patient-created documents for end-of-life care wishes.
• Physician/Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms document these wishes for healthcare professionals.
• Standardization of POLST forms is crucial for consistent end-of-life care communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of a standardized POLST form in Minnesota.
• To outline the creation of a statewide POLST initiative.
• To facilitate consistent communication of end-of-life care preferences.

Main Methods:

• Formation of a task force by the Minnesota Medical Association in 2008.
• Development of a standardized Physician/Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form.
• Focus on creating a usable form for healthcare providers across Minnesota.

Main Results:

• A standardized POLST form was developed for use throughout Minnesota.
• The initiative aimed to improve the documentation and communication of end-of-life wishes.
• Minnesota followed the lead of several other states in adopting POLST forms.

Conclusions:

• The Minnesota Medical Association successfully created a standardized POLST form.
• This initiative enhances the communication of patient end-of-life preferences among providers.
• Standardized POLST forms are vital for effective end-of-life care management.