Certified Hospice and Palliative Assistant (CHPNA) Practice Test

What distinguishes the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) from a living will?

1. It is a verbal agreement only

2. It is not required to be signed

3. It is a signed medical order by a provider

4. It applies only to patients under 18

The correct answer is: It is a signed medical order by a provider

The distinction lies in the nature and function of the documents. A Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) is a signed medical order that must be completed by a healthcare provider after discussions with the patient or their authorized representative. This document translates a patient’s treatment preferences into actionable medical orders that healthcare professionals are required to follow. It is specifically designed to indicate a patient's preferences concerning life-sustaining treatments in emergency situations, ensuring that their wishes are respected and implemented by healthcare providers. In contrast, a living will is a type of advance directive that outlines a person’s wishes regarding medical treatment in scenarios where they may no longer be able to communicate their preferences, but it does not carry the same binding authority as a medical order like POLST. A living will can serve as a guide but does not dictate specific orders for providers in the same way. Therefore, the key differentiator is that POLST is a legitimate medical order signed by a medical professional, making it legally actionable in a way that a living will is not.