NPC Guidance on the National POLST Form in EPIC

The National POLST Collaborative (NPC) has given permission to incorporate the National POLST model form into the EPIC foundation platform.

As our members and other state programs are aware, each state has their own laws, regulations and language governing the validity of POLST (and other named order sets) as actionable, portable medical orders. The National POLST document is a model form that can be used by each individual state but should include the state-designated name or acronym on the body of the document. (e.g., POLST, MOLST, POST, MOST, T-POPP, LaPOST).

We will continue to work with EPIC to make sure that the best guidance for the use of the document is being recommended.

We recommend states communicate with their providers and health systems that only state-developed and approved forms are valid, and that utilizing the generic National POLST model form without state specific requirements may jeopardize patient care if implemented incorrectly. Thank you for your continued support of the use of the POLST document as a “best practice” model of care for patients with serious illness and/or frailty.