What is POLST?
The Oregon Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) program is designed to assure that the medical treatment wishes expressed by the patient are honored by health care professionals as the patient moves from one health care setting to another.
The program was developed initially in Oregon in 1990 by a multi-professional task force convened by the Center for Ethics in health Care at Oregon Health & Science University. The voluntary use of the POLST document is intended to align medical treatments with the wishes of persons with advanced illness and frailty, and is expected to complement the advance directive, if one has been completed. The POLST program has been proven to be remarkably effective, so much so that 30 other states are following Oregon's lead and developing similar programs.
For more information, visit the Oregon POLST website.
What is the POLST Registry?
As Oregon's experience with the POLST program grew, first responders frequently were unable to find a patient's completed POLST form in a time of crisis. In response to this need, the Oregon POLST Registry was created as a public/private partnership with funding from private foundations to build the database and to educate the professional community.
In 2007, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 329 (State Health Fund Board), and in 2009 passed HB 2009 as part of Oregon's health care reform efforts, enabling Oregon to launch the nation's first 24-hour electronic POLST Registry on December 3, 2009. First responders and providers are able to call the registry from the field and be informed of a patient's POLST orders.
Learn more about the POLST Registry.
Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 333, Division 270
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Using POLST and the Registry POLST Form
The POLST form and materials are available for order or download at: http://oregonpolst.org/
Fax or eFax POLST forms to the Registry: 503-418-2161
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POLST Registry Advisory Committee (PRAC) Role
The POLST Registry Advisory Committee (PRAC) was sunsetted July 2017. For information please contact the OHA EMS office.
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Reports
Get Annual Reports and monthly data for Oregon POLST.
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Contact POLST program
POLST: polst@ohsu.edu
POLST Registry: polstreg@ohsu.edu
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