Got a POLST?

Imagine you are involved in a serious accident. You are brought to the hospital and placed in intensive care. The ER docs are not sure you're going to make it.

You are unable to communicate. What do you want to happen? Are the docs supposed to take every measure to keep you alive? Are they supposed to make you comfortable and let nature takes it course?

Are your intentions written down? If so, where is that document? Who has copies?

According to the University of California, San Francisco, three quarters of us will be unable to make some or all of the decisions at the end of our lives. As a result, inappropriate care may be given and family members may be placed in very difficult emotional situations.

You can prevent this from happening by implementing a Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment, or POLST. This document, which you and your personal physician sign, specifies the kind of care you would like to receive.

Oregon is one of 14 states that have a POLST program. The POLST is an official medical record that is stored in a state registry. You complete this document with your physician.

If you are interested in learning more about POLST, you can visit this page at the Oregon Health Science University (OHSU) web site, http://www.ohsu.edu/polst/.

Consider bringing the subject up with your doctor, the next time you're in for a visit.