POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment)

In summer 2009, CHCD began a two-year collaborative project to help ensure that a new POLST process for clarifying seriously ill patients' treatment decisions becomes recognized and commonly used throughout the region. The POLST form complements an advance directive by turning a patient's wishes into actionable medical orders.

The Sacramento Area POLST Project is being directed by a multi-disciplinary, multi-organizational group of physician leaders and representatives from emergency medical services, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and other healthcare organizations. The POLST collaborative is looking at ways to share best practices, provide education opportunities, enhance communication across care settings, and raise visibility around this important new communication tool.

The first collaborative activity was a one-day workshop, Beginning the Conversation. Held in January 2010, the training brought together 49 nurses, social workers, physicians and chaplains to learn about POLST and improve their skills in helping patients with chronic or serious illness understand and document their choices for care.

Statewide work

CHCD is assisting the California Coalition for Compassionate Care in its promotion of POLST throughout California. In 2009 CHCD produced a white paper summarizing the first year's work of and lessons learned from eight community POLST coalitions. The paper was presented at CCCC's 2009 annual conference.