Which form is specifically used to document end-of-life preferences across settings?

Which form is specifically used to document end-of-life preferences across settings?

• A. GOC
• B. DNR
• C. MOLST/POLST
• D. Advanced illness patients

Answer: (C)

A POLST/MOLST form is designed to capture a seriously ill or frail person’s end-of-life treatment preferences as portable medical orders that travel with the patient across all care settings. This means EMS, hospitals, clinics, home care, and any transitions between settings must honor these documented wishes, turning the patient’s goals into concrete actions. It typically covers choices about whether to attempt CPR, the desired level of medical intervention, use of mechanical ventilation, artificial nutrition, and comfort-focused care, and it is updated as goals evolve, with signatures from the clinician and the patient or surrogate. General goals-of-care discussions describe what the patient would want, but they aren’t automatically actionable medical orders that accompany the patient everywhere. A DNR focuses specifically on withholding CPR and does not address other interventions, and it may not be a comprehensive or portable set of instructions for all life-sustaining treatments. A form labeled for advanced illness patients isn’t a standardized tool in itself. So the form that is specifically used to document end-of-life preferences across settings is the POLST/MOLST.

A POLST/MOLST form is designed to capture a seriously ill or frail person’s end-of-life treatment preferences as portable medical orders that travel with the patient across all care settings. This means EMS, hospitals, clinics, home care, and any transitions between settings must honor these documented wishes, turning the patient’s goals into concrete actions. It typically covers choices about whether to attempt CPR, the desired level of medical intervention, use of mechanical ventilation, artificial nutrition, and comfort-focused care, and it is updated as goals evolve, with signatures from the clinician and the patient or surrogate.

General goals-of-care discussions describe what the patient would want, but they aren’t automatically actionable medical orders that accompany the patient everywhere. A DNR focuses specifically on withholding CPR and does not address other interventions, and it may not be a comprehensive or portable set of instructions for all life-sustaining treatments. A form labeled for advanced illness patients isn’t a standardized tool in itself. So the form that is specifically used to document end-of-life preferences across settings is the POLST/MOLST.