The Coalition for Compassionate Care of California is conducting a survey to better understand the level of interest and engagement in a state-wide electronic Registry of Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST). POLST is a form that gives seriously-ill patients more control over their end-of-life care, including medical treatment, extraordinary measures (such as a ventilator or feeding tube) and CPR. Printed on bright pink paper, and signed by both a patient and physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, POLST can prevent unwanted or ineffective treatments, reduce patient and family suffering, and ensure that a patient’s wishes are honored. Since it’s designed to be readily available to all healthcare practitioners in any setting or circumstance, electronic availability would promote its purpose. For more information and a sample of the California form, see https://capolst.org/. Take the survey, if possible before August 9, 2019, at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3XC2PGX.
