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Is POLST required by law? Filling out a POLST form is entirely voluntary, but California law requires that the physician orders in a POLST be followed by healthcare providers.

POLST is for people who are seriously ill or have advanced frailty. If you are healthy, an advance directive is for you. POLST forms and advance directives are both parts of advance care planning but they are not the same. POLST forms must be filled out and signed by health care provider.

While an Advance Directive is a comprehensive document that covers a wide range of healthcare decisions, a POLST form is focused on end-of-life decisions that require immediate medical attention. For instance, it may specify whether you want to receive CPR, antibiotics, or be put on a ventilator.

Like a DNR, a POLST form lets EMS know whether or not the patient wants CPR. DNR orders only apply when a person does not have a pulse, is not breathing and is unresponsive. However, in most medical emergencies, a person does have a pulse, is breathing or is responsive. That's where POLST is different.

(d) A surrogate shall make a health care decision in ance with the patient's individual instructions, if any, and other wishes to the extent known to the surrogate. Otherwise, the surrogate shall make the decision in ance with the surrogate's determination of the patient's best interest.

You can use the Advance Directive for Health Care form to tell your doctor you want to avoid life-prolonging interventions such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), kidney dialysis or breathing machines. You can use this form to tell your doctor you just want to be pain free and comfortable at the end of life.