title: The need for POLST: Minnesota's initiative.
abstract: In 2008, the Minnesota Medical Association created a task force to develop a standardized Physician/Provider Orders for Life-SustainingTreatment (POLST) form that could be used throughout Minnesota. Whereas advance directives are created by patients to communicate their wishes about end-of-life care to a physician or other health care provider, POLST forms are used by a physician (or other designated health care provider) to document and communicate a person's end-of-life wishes to other health care professionals, including other physicians. Several states have adopted POLSTforms. This article describes the effort to create a POLST initiative and form in Minnesota.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Lem
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vawter
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ratner
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008499:Medical Records / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008910:Minnesota; D010348:Patient Care Team; D016414:Resuscitation Orders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence