Use of the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment among California Nursing Home Residents.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) is a tool that facilitates the elicitation and continuity of life-sustaining care preferences. POLST was implemented in California in 2009, but how well it disseminated across a large, racially diverse population is not known and has implications for end-of-life care.

Objective

To evaluate the use of POLST among California nursing home residents, including variation by resident characteristics and by nursing home facility.

Design

Observational study using California Minimum Data Set Section S.

Participants

A total of 296,276 people with a stay in 1,220 California nursing homes in 2011.

Main measures

The proportion of residents with a completed POLST (containing a resuscitation status order

SUBMITTER: Jennings LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5023600 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature