TRIAD VII: do prehospital providers understand Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment documents?

This survey of emergency department physicians found that significant confusion in understanding of Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) documents exists. The authors suggest that additional research and training are required to protect patients' decisions. A related study revealed variation in interpretations of POLST orders by prehospital emergency responders. A previous AHRQ WebM&M commentary discusses how confusion in resuscitation status can result in a patient receiving unwanted care.