Nearly all states are working to grow adoption of POLST as a way to help patients, families and clinicians dealing with serious progressive illness and/or frailty. This map provides an easy way to access the website for POLST in your state or to contact your state leaders. Please click on your state and you will be directed to this information.
The darker rose color on this map indicates states that are active members of the National POLST Collaborative. This means they are actively engaged working in their state and with us nationally to continue development of best practices about the POLST process.
States have the responsibility to develop and implement practices and legislation for patients at this stage of life. The name “POLST” has evolved to stand for “portable medical order”, because we wanted to recognize current thinking. The nuanced conversation that supports completion of the document goes beyond life-sustaining treatment with its focus on level of care, and is often handled by the team of clinicians working with a patient and family. Also, clinician signature has been expanded in several states to include advanced practice clinicians such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
These state programs choose their own names for the form and the organization overseeing POLST in their state. These include POLST, POST, MOST, MOLST, TPOPP, COLST, DMOST, IPOST, TOPP, LaPOST, and others. Rest assured, these efforts are all part of the movement led by this National POLST Collaborative to make the POLST paradigm available to help patients, families and clinicians facing serious progressive illness and/or frailty due to aging.