Oregon's 14th version of the POLST form will be available as of Jan. 3, 2023!
Major highlights include:
Pre-existing POLST forms remain valid so long as the patient’s wishes have not changed.A new POLST using the revised 2023 form does not need to be completed.
If “Attempt Resuscitation/CPR” is selected, then Full Treatment must be chosen in Section B. This change was made to reduce confusion for emergency personnel.
“Limited Treatment” has been changed to “Selective Treatment” in Section B. This change improves our alignment with neighboring POLST programs.
Documenting who participated in the discussion is now required in Section C. Requiring documentation of those individuals who participated in the discussion reinforces the patient’s right to support person(s) for these important conversations.
For more information about completion and submission requirements of Oregon's 2023 POLST form,
please scan or click the QR code.
Oregon's Current Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative for Greater POLST Accessibility
In our efforts to make POLST information more widely accessible, we have partnered with more community health workers to adapt our POLST factsheet into additional languages. Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese versions are currently being field tested and will be offered early next year.
Our goal is to continue to empower an ever broader spectrum of Oregonians to decide if POLST is right for them with more clear and culturally sensitive materials.
Oregon POLST Registry to Release
EMS App in October!
The app, allowing first responders access to patients’ POLST information during medical emergencies, will be available on Apple and Android mobile devices.
OPR will be reaching out to EMS agencies to initiate enrollments for access to the app. Abby Dotson, PhD - OPR Director, will be providing education at the two-day Oregon EMS Conference in Bend later this month.
Effectiveness of Advance Care Planning:
What Works, What Doesn't, and
What Needs to Change?
A paper by Drs. Susan Tolle and Katrina Hedberg was recently published in The Journal of Clinical Ethics.
The authors conclude that “documents alone offer a false promise” and that hypothetical scenarios are ineffective. When a patient wishes to “die in their own bed,” having POLST orders for Comfort Measures Only are more likely to be honored if the health care team and the patient’s family have a clear understanding of the patient’s goal and can develop a realistic plan for how personal care and comfort needs will be addressed.
The abstract is available online at tinyurl.com/2p8cmfxf, wherein links will be found to permit those with institutional library affiliations to access the full article or a purchase option for non-subscribers.
Oregon Launches
HERO Kids
HERO Kids is the first registry of its kind for children in the nation. It was developed by the Oregon Center for Children and Youth with Special Health Needs along with Oregon Health Authority’s Emergency Medical Services for Children program (EMSC) and Oregon Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Registry.
More information can be found on the HERO Kids website.
The mission of the Oregon POLST® Coalition is to improve the quality of life for Oregonians nearing the end of life by providing an evidence-based, patient-centered, voluntary process that elicits, records and honors the treatment goals of those with advanced illness and frailty in a compassionate manner that is respectful of the inherent dignity of the individual.
