Levels of Recognition

The POLST Paradigm exists at some level in 50 states and Washington DC: Existing is a spectrum from just having legislation passed, to implementing the POLST Paradigm with regional pilots, to having implemented the POLST Paradigm so it is standard of care within that state. While we have come a long way since the first POLST form use in 1994, we still have a long way to go before the POLST Paradigm is standard of care and available across the country.

Read more about National POLST Paradigm’s levels of recognition for POLST Programs

Names of POLST Programs

The POLST Paradigm is known by different names in different states, including:

• MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment)
• MOST (Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment)
• POST (Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment)
• SMOST (Summary of Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment)
• TPOPP (Transportable Physician Orders for Patient Preference)
• COLST (Clinician Order for Life Sustaining Treatment)
• DMOST (Delaware Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment)
• IPOST (Iowa Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment)
• LaPOST (Louisiana Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment)
• OkPOLST (Oklahoma Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment)
• PAPOLST (Pennsylvania Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment)
• WyoPOLST (Wyoming Providers Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment)
• SAPO (State Authorized Portable Orders)

For simplicity, “POLST” is commonly used when referring to POLST forms or Programs in general.