POLST vs DNR: What is the main purpose of a POLST form compared with a traditional DNR order?

• A. A general directive not legally binding.
• B. Translates patient preferences into actionable medical orders across care settings.
• C. A hospital-only order to withhold lifesaving treatments.
• D. A form for advance directives separate from medical orders.

Answer: (B)

Translating patient preferences into portable, actionable medical orders across care settings is the main idea here. A POLST form is a set of physician orders that reflects a seriously ill or frail person’s treatment goals and translates them into specific instructions that can guide care in any setting—hospital, home, hospice, or during transport by EMS. It covers decisions about when to use or withhold resuscitation, ventilation, tube feeding, and comfort-focused measures, and it’s signed by the clinician and the patient or surrogate, making it a legally recognized, portable guide for care.

In contrast, a traditional DNR centers on whether to perform CPR and does not by itself specify other treatments or guarantee that preferences will be followed across different care environments. Advance directives, while important, are often general and may not provide immediately actionable orders in an emergency. So the POLST form is uniquely designed to convert patient wishes into concrete, portable medical orders across care settings.