Article on Physician Orders For Life-Sustaining Treatment

Robert B. Wolf, Marilyn J. Maag and Keith Bradoc Gallant recentlypublished an article entitled, The Physician Orders For Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Coming Soon To A Health Care Community Near You, 49 Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Journal, no. 1, 71 (Spring 2014). Provided below is the editor’s synopsis:

The estate, trust, and elder law community is seasoned in explaining and assisting in the implementation of advance health care directives. While directives are useful because they allow patients who are 18 years old and older to provide instructions for future treatment, they often fall short of conveying patients’ current wishes in light of existing conditions. POLST forms aim to fill this gap and provide consistency for patients who have a serious life-threatening illness. Through a decision-making process with their health care professionals, POLST give patients the tools for deciding upon and documenting their medical treatment preferences, thereby keeping the patients in control of their end-of-life treatment.