Massachusetts MOLST to POLST transition and Electronic Registry Initiative
Massachusetts is building a state electronic registry to allow clinicians timely and trusted access to the medical forms that document patients' preferences for care near the end of life. The registry will include forms called physician orders for life-sustaining treatment, or POLST.
Massachusetts will join a handful of other states, including California, New York, and Oregon, that have introduced such registries to help ensure that residents' preferences are honored at the end of life.
As part of the project, the state will transition from the MOLST form to the POLST form to align with national standards and will conduct extensive outreach and education about the new form and how to use the online registry. Stakeholder engagement and planning is underway in partnership with the Coalition's MOLST-to-POLST Advisory Group.
Last year, the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care announced the launch of a temporary eMOLST website to aid in virtual conversations and document completion, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The portal, created in partnership with Ariadne Labs, Honoring Choices Massachusetts and Vynca, embeds communication tools and resources.