…eded before sound policies can be developed. Problem – HR 1173 Should Fund POLST Research, Not POLST Promotion A federal bill called the “Personalize Your Care Act” was introduced on March 14, 2013, by Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), which would provide Medicare funding for physicians to have a conversation with their patients about “end-of-life care.” If done well, we agree that such a conversation can be a good thing, and I object to…
…new-end-of-life-measure-quietly-sweeps-the-nation-85899484943 [2] National POLST Paradigm Task Force http://www.polst.org/develop-a-program/program-requirements/# Level 3: Program Requirements for Endorsed POLST Paradigm Programs [3] New Jersey and Nevada. [4] CANHR Policy Brief, Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (“POLST”), Problems and Recommendations http://www.canhr.org/reports/2010/POLST_WhitePaper.pdf [5] See, e.g., www.adapt.org…
…POLST and mandating a review of compliance with the POLST law as part of licensing inspections. Second Thoughts Connecticut drew from Manne’s analysis and brought other research and materials to bear to negotiate and reach a consensus with Connecticut POLST advocates for a POLST bill that is as close to a model for the nation as we have seen. A news article about POLST and the Connecticut bill highlighted their success in reaching a balanced prop…
…l care. (Emphasis added.) The only purported justification I’ve heard from POLST advocates for why the patient needn’t sign the POLST form is the suggestion that it would be too inconvenient because they are sick. That explanation doesn’t make sense if the person is able to complete the form as described in the Illinois letter. But the larger question is how can health care providers know that a POLST form signed only by a physician accurately ref…
…ice, once regarding the Illinois program and once regarding the New Jersey POLST bill. A POLST is a medical order, signed by a physician, instructing a health care provider about what types of life-sustaining treatment to provide or withhold. The instruction is supposed to be based on the wishes of the individual or their authorized surrogate health care decision maker. The National Task Force “strongly recommends” that the patient or surrogate si…
