Honoring the wishes of people with progressing serious illness.
POLST gives seriously ill people more control over their health care treatment, particularly in case of a medical emergency.
For Patients
A POLST form translates patient wishes into medical orders that instruct medical teams what to do for a seriously ill person when they cannot speak for themselves.
For Professionals
POLST provides clear guidance about a seriously ill patient’s wishes, eliminating uncertainty, saving time in emergencies, and reducing interventions the patient doesn’t want and focusing on treatments they do want.
For Members
Membership provides the tools and connections to help state programs, healthcare organizations, and individual champions make a significant impact on care for the seriously ill.
Find POLST Forms and Guidelines in Your State
Nearly all states are working to grow adoption of POLST as a way to help patients, families, and clinicians dealing with progressing serious illness and/or frailty due to aging. This map makes it easy to access POLST forms and resources in your state and to contact your state leaders.
Working Together to Strengthen Serious Illness Care
National POLST collaborates with healthcare organizations, nonprofits, and advocacy groups across the country to improve how end-of-life care decisions are made and honored.
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