In Oregon and Washington, a majority of persons with ALS whom we surveyed would consider assisted suicide. Many would request a prescription for a lethal dose of medication well before they intended to use it.

Objectives The POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) program is designed to ensure patients’ treatment preferences are honored by documenting preferences as medical orders. The goal of this study was to evaluate the consistency between treatments provided and POLST orders. Design Retrospective chart abstraction. Setting Stratified, random sample of 90 nursing facilities in Oregon, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Participants 870 living and deceased nursing facility residents aged 65 and older with a minimum 60-day stay. Measurements Chart data about POLST form orders and related treatments over a 60-day period were abstracted. Decision rules were created to determine whether the rationale for each treatment was consistent with POLST orders. Results Most residents (85.2%) had the same POLST form in place during the review period. A majority of treatments provided to residents with orders for comfort measures only (74.3%) and limited antibiotics (83.3%) were consistent with POLST orders because they were primarily comfort focused rather than life-prolonging. However, antibiotics were provided to 32.1% of residents with orders for no antibiotics. Overall consistency rates between treatments and POLST orders were high for resuscitation (98%), medical interventions (91.1%), antibiotics (92.9%), and modest for feeding tubes (63.6%). In all, POLST orders were consistent with treatments provided 94.0% of the time. Conclusion With the exception of feeding tubes and antibiotic use in residents with orders for no antibiotics, the use of medical treatments was nearly always consistent with POLST orders to provide or withhold life-sustaining interventions. Findings suggest the POLST program is a useful tool for ensuring that the treatment preferences of nursing facility residents are honored.

POLST orders regarding CPR in nursing home residents in this study were universally respected. Study subjects received remarkably high levels of comfort care and low rates of transfer for aggressive life-extending treatments.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between two methods to communicate treatment preferences (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) program vs traditional practices) and documentation of life-sustaining treatment orders, symptom assessment and management, and use of life-sustaining treatments. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort study conducted between June 2006 and April 2007. SETTING: A stratified, random sample of 90 Medicaideligible nursing facilities in Oregon, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand seven hundred eleven living and deceased nursing facility residents aged 65 and older with a minimum 60-day stay. MEASUREMENTS: Life-sustaining treatment orders; pain, shortness of breath, and related treatments over a 7-day period; and use of life-sustaining treatments over a 60-day period. RESULTS: Residents with POLST forms were more likely to have orders about life-sustaining treatment preferences beyond cardiopulmonary resuscitation than residents without (98.0% vs 16.1%, Po.001). There were no differences between residents with and without POLST forms in symptom assessment or management. Residents with POLST forms indicating orders for comfort measures only were less likely to receive medical interventions (e.g., hospitalization) than residents with POLST full treatment orders (P 5.004), residents with traditional do-not-resuscitate orders (Po.001), or residents with traditional full code orders (Po.001). CONCLUSION:Residents with POLST forms were more likely to have treatment preferences documented as medical orders than those who did not, but there were no differences in symptom management or assessment. POLST orders restricting medical interventions were associated with less use of life-sustaining treatments. Findings suggest that the POLST program offers significant advantages over traditional methods to communicate preferences about life-sustaining treatments.

Findings add compelling evidence for the power of advance directives, whether written or verbal, to reduce the stress associated with family decision-making.