POST…. P hysician Orders for Scope of Treatment

POST…. Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment

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Respecting Patients’ Wishes at the End of Life

EMS Train the Trainer

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An Index Case

Mr. Jan, a 71-year-old male with severe COPD and mild dementia, was convalescing at a skilled-nursing facility after a hospital stay for pneumonia. Mr. Jan developed increasing SOB and decreasing LOC over 24 hours. The nursing facility staff called EMS who found the patient unresponsive, with a RR of 8 and an O2 sat at 85% on room air. Although Mr. Jan had discussed his desire to forgo aggressive, life-sustaining measures with his family and nursing personnel, the nursing facility staff did not document his preferences, inform the emergency team about them, or mention his do-not-resuscitate order.

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After EMS was unable to intubate him at the scene, they inserted an oral airway, bagged, and transported the patient to the emergency department (2nd hospital). Mr. Jan remained unresponsive. He was afebrile, with a systolic BP of 190 mm Hg, P of 105 , RR of 8, and an O2 sat of 88% despite supplemental oxygen. He had diminished breath sounds without wheezes, and a chest X-ray showed large lung volumes without consolidation. Arterial blood gases showed marked respiratory acidosis. The emergency department physician wrote, “full code for now, status unclear.” The staff intubated and sedated Mr. Jan and transferred him to the intensive care unit.

Lynn, et al. Ann Intern Med 2003;138:812-818.

What went wrong?(Could this happen in Roanoke?)

• Advance directives not documented• DNR order not communicated in

transfer• Fragmentation in care (2 hospitals)• Overtreatment against patient’s wishes• Unnecessary pain and suffering• System-wide failure to respect pt’s

wishes– Failure to plan ahead for contingencies– No system for transfer of plan

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What is POST?• A physician order• Can be completed by any provider but

must be signed by qualified MD or DO• Complements, but does not replace,

advance directives • Voluntary use• Recognized by EMS as a valid DDNR

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POST is for…

Seriously ill patients*Terminally ill patients

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* chronic, progressive disease/s

Purpose of POST• To provide a mechanism to communicate

patients’ preferences for end-of-life treatment across treatment settings

• To improve implementation of advance care planning

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Expected Outcomes of Using POST Process

• Improved continuity of care—Form transferable across treatment settings

• Clearer communication of wishes• Reduced hospitalization and inappropriate

life-sustaining treatments– Fewer EMS transports

• More accurate representation of preferences

• Higher adherence to wishes by medical professionals.

Living Will* v. POST

Living Will• For every adult• Requires decisions about

myriad of future treatments• Clear statement of

preferences• Needs to be retrieved• Requires interpretation

POST• For the seriously ill• Decisions among presented

options• Checking of preferred boxes• Stays with the patient• A physician’s order to be

followed

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*Fagerlin & Schneider. Enough: The Failure of the Living Will.Hastings Center Report 2004;34:30-42.

Why POST Works…

• MUST accompany patient• Contains specifics• Physician’s order—no interpretation

is needed–POST orders are to be followed

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Prompt for POST Completion

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Would you be surprised if this patient died in the next year?

Communication across Settings

The health care facility initiating the transfer shall communicate the existence of the POST form to the receiving facility prior to the transfer. The POST form (or copy) shall accompany the person to the receiving facility and shall remain in effect.

POST Project Policy and Procedure

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POST Pilot Project• POST orders legally recognized in

several states, including West Virginia.

• 8 regions in the state are conducting POST pilot projects over the next 2 years.

• Plan to make POST a uniform document recognized throughout Virginia.

Developing Programs

National POLST Paradigm Programs

Endorsed Programs

No Program (Contacts)*As of February 2013

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EMS Participants

• List your participating EMS and transport groups here

EMS Participants

• List your participating EMS and transport groups here

POST Form

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Section A: Resuscitation

• DNR orders only apply if a person has no pulse and is not breathing• Note: This section has 2 choices: Attempt Resuscitation and

Do Not Attempt Resuscitation: Check to see which box is checked!• POST Section A recognized as a valid Virginia Other DNR.

• When Do Not Attempt Resuscitation is checked, qualified healthcare personnel are authorized to honor this order as if it were a Durable DNR order• OEMS approval (Michael Berg)

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A one only

CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR): Person has no pulse and is not breathing. ☐ Attempt Resuscitation ☐ Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DDNR/DNR/No CPR) A DNR order in this section qualifies as a Durable DNR order. In no case shall any person other than the patient have authority to revoke a Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order executed upon the request of and with the consent of the patient himself. § 54.1-2987.1.B

Section B: Medical Interventions

• If in the “terminal” phase, POST and advance directive should be consistent• Care plan should always be consistent with POST• If Comfort Measures are selected consider hospice consultation

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B one only

Comfort Measures are always provided, regardless of the level

of care chosen

MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS: Patient has pulse and / or is breathing. Comfort Measures: Treat with dignity and respect. Keep warm and dry. Use medication by any route,

positioning, wound care and other measures to relieve pain and suffering. Use oxygen, suction and manual treatment of airway obstruction as needed for comfort. Transfer to hospital only if comfort needs cannot be met in current location. Also see “Other Instructions” if indicated below.

Limited Additional Interventions: Include comfort measures described above. Do not use intubation or mechanical ventilation. May consider less invasive airway support (e.g., CPAP or BiPAP). Use additional medical treatment, antibiotics, IV fluids and cardiac monitoring as indicated. (Hospital transfer if indicated. Avoid intensive care unit.) Also see “Other Instructions” if indicated below.

Full Interventions: In addition to Comfort Measures above, use intubation, mechanical ventilation, cardioversion as indicated. Transfer to hospital if indicated. Include intensive care unit. Also see “Other Instructions” if indicated below.

Other Instructions:

Levels of Medical Interventions• Comfort Measures– Treat with dignity and respect. – Keep warm and dry. – Use medication by any route, positioning, wound care and

other measures to relieve pain and suffering. – Use oxygen, suction and manual treatment of airway

obstruction as needed for comfort. – Transfer to hospital only if comfort needs cannot be met in

current location. Also see “Other Instructions” if indicated below.

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Levels of Medical Interventions

Limited Additional Interventions

– Include comfort measures. – Do not use intubation or

mechanical ventilation. May consider less invasive airway support (e.g., CPAP or BiPAP).

– Use additional medical treatment, antibiotics, IV fluids and cardiac monitoring as indicated.

– Hospital transfer if indicated. Avoid intensive care unit. Also see “Other Instructions” if indicated below.

Full Interventions

– In addition to Comfort Measures above

– use intubation, mechanical ventilation, cardioversion as indicated.

– Transfer to hospital if indicated. Include intensive care unit.

– Also see “Other Instructions” if indicated below.

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Section C: Artificial Nutrition

•These orders pertain to a person who cannot take food by mouth•Feeding tube for a defined trial period:

• Gives option to determine benefit to patient and/or recovery from stroke, etc.

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POST Sections (Other)

Discussed withPhysician Signature and contact infoPatient/Authorized Decision Maker

Authority to sign patient if patient is incapacitatedFacility of POST form originName and signature of FacilitatorInstructions

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POST Form Shall Always Accompany Patient/Resident When Transferred or

Discharged!*

* Note: Preferable to transfer with original current copy, but legible copies are to be honored as though they are the original.

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On the top of the transfer packet!

“Where is the POST form?”

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At Transfer

• The yellow POST form placed in a red envelope with a label and placed at top of transfer documents:– “POST Order Form---This Form is to Accompany

the Resident Upon Transfer or Discharge; if resident returns to (name of facility), please return this form to: (address of facility)

• EMS, hand this envelope to person in charge of receiving resident/patient transfer documents.

EMS Role in POST Pilot Project• Know what the POST form looks like.• Know location of POST form in transfer records.• Honor DDNR • During transfer, communicate to medical control that

patient has a POST form and the contents of section A and B.

• At receiving facility, communicate that patient has a POST form and its location.

EMS Transport Service Roles • Same as EMS, plus—• Patient return to residence/facility, ask:– “Is there a POST Form?”– “Where is the POST form?”

• Make every effort to ensure the POST form is transferred with the patient back home or to the facility.

Take-Home Messages

• POST provides a better means than AD to identify and respect patients’ wishes

• POST completion will improve end-of-life care throughout the system

• Use of POST will require communication to make it work in your community

• “Where’s the POST form?”

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Questions?