Abstract: Attendees will discuss the origins of POLST, which are portable medical orders that define what care should be provided to a patient in an emergency. POLST varies by state and has different names, content and legal standing across the United States. Attendees will evaluate differences in the use of POLST forms across United States and ethical issues that can arise with this. They will then examine clinical ethics cases surrounding the use of POLST forms. Cases include:
- Can POLST forms be used to honor a patient’s preference to be DNR on an airplane traveling over multiple states?
- Can a surrogate override a patient’s signed POLST form? Does this depend on which state you are located in?
An overview of National POLST can be found here: https://polst.org
Continuing medical education credit will be available.
The Center for Bioethics & Health Law’s Clinical Ethics Forum brings together Pitt faculty (including law, medicine, nursing, and philosophy scholars), Pitt students, trainees, and UPMC staff for ethics discussions including journal clubs, policy discussions, and case conferences.
Location and Address
Online