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January 2022, Issue No.61
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Alaska Physician Orders for Life - Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
State and federal statutes protect the rights of every adult to make their own health care decisions, including what treatments to accept, decline, or discontinue. In Alaska, the Alaska Health Care Decisions Act (AHCDA) is the statute that governs our Advance Directive (AD) laws and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) statewide protocols. Alaska POLST is now replacing the Alaska Comfort One program and is a legal medical order indicating the patient’s preferences for emergency and/or life-sustaining treatments when seriously ill or at the end of life.
The Alaska POLST form was signed into regulation in May 2021 and may now be used. The orders on a POLST are required to be honored by all health care professionals. To provide for a smooth transition, the Comfort One will also remain a legal medical order. The most recently signed form is the active medical order. DHSS will continue to resupply Comfort One forms until June 1, 2022, to allow health care professionals and institutions to have time to learn about and adopt the Alaska POLST form.
The Alaska POLST website (www.akpolst.org) was developed and is currently maintained in collaboration with DHSS, ASHNHA, and the members of the Alaska State POLST work-groups to provide the POLST form and resources to support its use and implementation. Future planned resources include an archive of webinar recordings for education and training, a policy share for facilities, and a best practice guide.
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