Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

 

Publication

California’s POLST Electronic Registry Pilot

September 2019
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.
CHCF Blog

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

November 5, 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.
Project

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.
Project

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.
Publication

Country Road: Bringing Palliative Care to Rural California

July 2016
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.
CHCF Blog

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

December 22, 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.
CHCF Blog

A POLST Registry: Connecting Patient Preferences with the Care Team

February 12, 2015
Sandra Shewry
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 2, 2014

Briefing — Exploring the Need for a POLST Registry in California

Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care
December 2, 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.