Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

California’s POLST Electronic Registry Pilot

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care

From 2016 to 2018, a pilot project tested the feasibility of creating a statewide electronic registry for POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) forms in California. This publication offers lessons for all stakeholders interested in pursuing electronic exchange of POLST across care settings.

Beyond Cancer: A New Palliative Care Approach Targets High-Risk Liver Patients

November 6, 2017

Steven Birenbaum

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care

Patients receiving innovative palliative care services for advanced liver disease at LAC+USC Medical Center in Los Angeles wish everyone with that illness had access to the same innovative care.

POLST eRegistry Pilot Initiative

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care

A pilot project to establish an electronic registry for POLST forms in California could enable quick access to this information by emergency responders and others.

End-of-Life Cancer Care

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care

CHCF's efforts to promote appropriate care toward the end of life apply to all people with serious illness, including late-stage cancers.

Country Road: Bringing Palliative Care to Rural California

Monique Parrish, Kathleen Kerr

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care, Workforce, Telehealth

Palliative care can improve the lives of seriously ill patients and reduce health care costs, but the rural parts of California have a very limited supply.

How One Woman’s Wish to Die in Peace Was Thwarted in Her Final Hours

December 23, 2015

Avram Goldstein

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care

After getting caught in the gears of a health care system that seems conditioned to view death as optional, a Los Angeles family uses an emotional disaster to plot a better course.

Information in a Heartbeat: Readiness Assessment for Establishing a POLST Registry in California

BluePath Health, Coalition for Compassionate Care of California

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care

Documented medical wishes can only inform care if they are known. We look at the landscape for adoption of a POLST registry in California and successful registries in other states.

A POLST Registry: Connecting Patient Preferences with the Care Team

February 13, 2015

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care

POLST is the bright pink form that tells family members, caregivers, and providers what types and levels of care a person wants in the final phase of life. POLST is a powerful tool — but as with all tools, POLST loses its power if it is not available when it's needed.

December 3, 2014

Briefing — Exploring the Need for a POLST Registry in California

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care

December 3, 2014

Hear about Oregon's successful implementation and the benefits and options for California to create a registry for POLST forms, which communicate patient preferences for treatment.

Advance Care Planning Takes Root: Best Practices from Four California Communities

Anne Boyd Rabkin

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care

Community involvement is key to increasing the prevalence of advance health care planning. Four California coalitions share how they do it.