• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Alliance icon

A program of the National Alliance for Care at Home

Visit the Alliance
CaringInfo logo

CaringInfo

Resources to help people make decisions about end-of-life care and services before a crisis

MenuMenu
  • Home
  • How to Prepare, Plan, and Be Present
        • I Need Help Now
        • Feeling overwhelmed? We have resources to help you sort things out.

        • Planning Overview
        • Topics
          • Advance Directives
          • Caregiving
          • Communicating
          • Financial Matters
          • Finding Care Outside of the Home
          • Grief and Loss
          • Rights
  • Types of Care
    • Types of Care Overview
    • Curative Care
    • Palliative Care
    • Hospice Care
    • Comfort Care
    • Bereavement Care
    • Difference between Palliative and Hospice Care
  • Insights
  • Resources
  • English
    • Español

How to Prepare, Plan, and Be Present \ Advance Directives \ Portable Medical Orders (POLSTs) vs Advance Directives

Portable Medical Orders (POLSTs) vs Advance Directives

Available in: Español

A POLST is a part of the advance care planning process and communicates your wishes as medical orders. A POLST form consists of a set of medical orders that applies to a limited population of patients, such as seriously ill or frail persons, and addresses a limited number of critical medical decisions. A POLST has the option of specifying Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) but also makes provision for other types of treatment such as feeding tubes and mechanical ventilation. They will be filled out in consultation with your doctor.

POLSTs have different names in different states.

What is a POLST?

A POLST communicates your wishes as medical orders, and so is prepared together with your doctor who will sign it. POLST’s have different names in different states, but all have the force of medical orders. POLST’s are specifically for the seriously ill or frail. POLST’s can travel with you and are honored by emergency medical technicians.

How is a POLST different from an advance directive or DNR (do not resuscitate)?

  • POLST = Portable Medical Orders.  Different states use different names such as POLST, POST, MOLST, MOST, etc. for their programs.
  • POLST is for people who are seriously ill or have advanced frailty. If you are healthy, an advance directive is for you. POLST forms and advance directives are both parts of advance care planning but they are not the same.
  • POLST forms must be filled out and signed by health care provider. When you need a prescription, you go to your provider who writes or types an order for your prescription and signs it. POLST is a medical order so it is the same: you need to go to your health care provider who will write out the POLST and sign it. The difference with POLST is that you should have a good talk with your provider about what you want considering your current medical condition: What is likely to happen in the future? Treatment options? You’ll also be asked to sign your POLST form.
  • POLST forms tell other providers what you want. During a medical emergency, if you can talk, providers will ask you what you want. POLST forms are used only when you cannot communicate and you need medical care. When that is the situation, the POLST form orders providers to give you the treatments you chose.
  • POLST forms are out-of-hospital medical orders. This means that they are medical orders that travel with you. Wherever you are, your POLST form tells health care providers what treatments you want and your goals of care, even if you transfer from hospital to nursing home, back to your home, or to hospice or another setting.
  • POLST is voluntary. You make the choice about having a POLST form: you should never be forced to have one! If you are healthy, however, your provider may choose not sign a POLST form for you since it was designed for people who are seriously ill or have advanced frailty (some state laws do not allow providers to sign a POLST form unless you are seriously ill or have advanced frailty).
  • Advance Directives:  POLST’s give specific directions about treatments during an emergency if you cannot speak for yourself. However, POLSTs do not appoint someone to speak on your behalf (surrogate or health care agent) which Advance Directives generally do. In a POLST,  you specify exactly what you want and don’t want and for how long. They have the force of medical orders and must be honored by emergency medical technicians (EMT’s). EMT’s cannot honor advance directives or medical powers of attorney. Once emergency personnel have been called, they must do what is necessary to stabilize a person for transfer to a hospital, both from accident sites and from a home or other facility. After a physician fully evaluates the person’s condition and determines the underlying conditions, advance directives can be implemented.
  • Do Not Resuscitate (DNR’s):  A do-not-resuscitate order, or DNR order, is a medical order written by a doctor. It instructs healthcare providers not to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if a patient’s breathing stops or if the patient’s heart stops beating. If presented, it will be honored by EMT’s. A POLST has the option of specifying DNR but also makes provision for your choices around resuscitation and other types of treatment such as feeding tubes and mechanical ventilation.

How do you fill out a POLST form?

POLST’s fit into the entire advance care planning process. By the time most people want or need a POLST they will have learned about their condition, thought about their values and quality of life, and had conversations with those close to them. The actual filling out of the POLST usually takes place in your doctor’s office after a good talk about your medical condition, treatment options, and what you want. Your doctor will fill it out and both of you will sign it. It is good to make several copies for yourself and one will be put in your medical record.

How do you find the POLST for your state?

You may want to review your state’s form before you meet with your doctor. The National POLST website has lots of information on POLSTs in general and you will be able to find and review the one from your state. 

Learn about the other types of documents that spell out your healthcare wishes.

  • Back to top
  • Print this page

Primary Sidebar

Section Menu

Advance Directives
  • What is an Advance Directive?
  • Download and Complete Your State or Territories' Advance Directive Form
  • Creating Your Advance Directive
  • Storing and Retrieving Your Advance Directive
  • About Digital and Video Advance Directives
  • POLSTs
  • Power of Attorney
  • Choosing a Healthcare Agent

Footer

CaringInfo logo

A program of the National Alliance for Care at Home

About

CaringInfo, a program of the National Alliance for Care at Home, provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers to make decisions about serious illness and end-of-life care and services. CaringInfo’s goal is that all people are making informed decisions about their care. Learn more about CaringInfo.

  • Donate
  • Contact CaringInfo
  • Licensing Opportunities

Find a Care Provider

Visit the Alliance to find a care provider in your area.

Start Searching

Alliance logo© 2025 National Alliance for Care at Home | Privacy

A Decrease font size. A Reset font size. A Increase font size.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Accept and ClosePrivacy policy