Virtual Visits: Providing Access to POLST During COVID-19

Improving access to POLST is essential in honoring patients’ treatment goals at the end of life. In Oregon, POLST forms can be completed virtually/by phone. To help ensure appropriate POLST submissions to the Oregon POLST Registry during the COVID-19 pandemic, the following established standards facilitate virtual POLST form completion:
1. Verbal Orders (following institutional verbal order procedures) are valid and accepted by both EMS and the Registry.
2. The Patient or Surrogate Signature is not required on the Oregon POLST form. It is necessary to indicate with whom the POLST form was discussed (Section C).
3. Photocopies of POLST Forms on white paper are valid.
4. Health care professionals can print blank POLST forms from the Oregon POLST website (more details are on our Professional Resources page): oregonpolst.or...