Widespread misinterpretation of advance directives and Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatments threatens patient safety and causes undertreatment and overtreatment.

Ferdinando L. Mirarchi; Thaddeus Mason Pope

Commentary

Widespread misinterpretation of advance directives and Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatments threatens patient safety and causes undertreatment and overtreatment.

July 12, 2023

Mirarchi FL, Pope TM. J Patient Saf. 2023;19(5):289-292.

View more articles from the same authors.

Providing treatment that is discordant with patients’ preferences for end-of-life care can lead to unnecessary or unwanted treatment. This article summarizes the incidence of treatment discordant with their Portable Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) and advanced directives (ADs) and tools for use by clinicians and patients and family members to promote concordant care. A previous PSNet WebM&M Spotlight Case discusses the importance of advanced care planning and the consequences of inadequate communication and planning for end-of-life care.

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Widespread misinterpretation of advance directives and Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatments threatens patient safety and causes undertreatment and overtreatment.

Post-Acute Transitional Services: Safety in Home-Based Care Programs

Deprescribing as a Patient Safety Strategy

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Widespread misinterpretation of advance directives and Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatments threatens patient safety and causes undertreatment and overtreatment.

Post-Acute Transitional Services: Safety in Home-Based Care Programs

Deprescribing as a Patient Safety Strategy

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