POLST Vocabulary - A Summary

Last year, I published a reasonably comprehensive review of how POLST is being adopted across the country.  I observed that "while the POLST paradigm is established or developing in almost every U.S. state, it goes by at least 14 different names."  That number is now at least 15.  



Like variation in form color (pink, green, yellow), this variation in terminology is not material.  But it is important to remember that even with different names, most of these programs share the same paradigm.  



POLST stands for three different terms. 

1. In most of the states, POLST stands for physician orders for life-sustaining treatment.  


2. In Minnesota and Montana, POLST stands for provider orders for life-sustaining treatment.  


3. In Pennsylvania, POLST stands for Pennsylvania orders for life-sustaining treatment.  


4. And in New Jersey, it stands for Practitioner orders for life-sustaining treatment.

The remaining states use 11 additional acronyms.  Two are similar to POLST:

1. Vermont uses COLST (clinical orders for life-sustaining treatment).


2. Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island use MOLST (medical orders for life-sustaining treatment).

Four other acronyms focus on scope of treatment

rather than on life-sustaining treatment:

1. Idaho, Indiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia use POST (physician orders for scope of treatment).


2. Louisiana uses LaPOST (Louisiana physician order for scope of treatment).


3. Alaska, Colorado, Kentucky, New Mexico, and North Carolina use MOST (medical orders for scope of treatment).


4. Iowa uses IPOST (Iowa physician orders for scope of treatment).


5. Nevada uses SMOST (summary of physician orders for scope of treatment).

Four final acronyms are far more different:

1. Kansas and Missouri use TPOPP (transportable physician order for patient preference).


2. Utah calls its POLST a death with dignity order.


3. Illinois legislated that POLST “may be referred to” as the department of public health uniform DNR advance directive.


4. The Veterans Health Administration refers to POLST as SAPO (state authorized portable orders).