POLST

Minnesota Provider Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment

The Minnesota Provider Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment is a medical order, signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant based upon a patient's preferences (directly or through a written document or proxy) for care in a life-threatenging emergency or at the end of life. It is based upon a national model described on the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment site. The form, endorsed by the Minnesota Medical Association Board of Trustees and the Emergency Services Regulatory Board, can be downloaded here.

Educational materials about POLST:
   Frequently Asked Questions - Published by the Minnesota Medical Association.

   The Need for POLST: Minnesota's Initiative - This article, by Lem Vauter, M.D., and Ed Ratner, M.D., appeared in the January 2010 issue of Minnesota Medicine.

  Patient Education - This handout is for patients and their families.

Here are informational slide sets prepared by Edward Ratner, MD. They designed for individuals who various professional groups:
   POLST for Nursing Homes - Updated 3/11 
   POLST for Home Care - Updated 10/10
   POLST for Medical Residents - Updated 3/11
   POLST for Lawyers - Updated 6/11

Honoring Choices Minnesota is a partnership between the Twin Cities Medical Society and Twin Cities Public Television. Visit the website  at  www.honoringchoices.org  for information on advance care planning for patients, their families, and careproviders.