Toolkit to Increase Provider Knowledge, Comfort, and Adoption of POLST: Portable Medical Orders in a Primary Care Setting

Abstract

Background: POLST - Portable Medical Orders - abbreviated as POLST, is a nationwide initiative to help providers document and meet a patient's end-of-life wishes. Problem: Provider completion of POLST documents in primary care can promote continuity and implementation of patient preferences at the end of life in community-dwelling adults. Educating and providing a clinical process to support POLST use may improve implementation. Approach: A POLST toolkit was developed for primary care providers with measurement of knowledge, comfort, and likelihood of use with pre- and postsurvey data collection. The POLST toolkit was used to engage primary care providers in an educational session to enhance understanding and increased utilization. Outcomes: Providers reported increased knowledge, self-reported comfort, and likelihood of using POLST documents. Conclusions: Utilization of a POLST toolkit, with an educational component, improved provider interest in POLST implementation.