Advance care planning describes the process of planning for a person’s future medical care. It involves a conversation or series of conversations with a person, their loved ones, and their health care providers. It can include general thoughts about how that person would want to live their life after going through medical treatment for an illness or injury. It can also include specific thoughts about certain types of medical treatments that can be written in advance directives and medical orders.
When these forms are completed, they should be reviewed as a person’s health and wishes for medical treatment change. Copies should also be given to that person’s loved ones and health care providers who may be part of any future conversations about that person’s medical treatment.
These forms are optional, but often helpful, ways to plan for future medical conditions and treatment. At CommonSpirit Health, we want our patients to know their rights about making medical treatment decisions, even in advance of the medical condition happening. CommonSpirit Health follows state laws regarding advance directives and does not discriminate based on whether a person has completed an advance directive.
Types of Advance Directives
The following sections give more information about the common types of advance directives and medical orders that are used to plan for a person’s future medical care in the states that are part of the CommonSpirit Health Mountain Region (Colorado, Kansas, and Utah):
- Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (also known as a Medical Durable Power of Attorney or Health Care Power of Attorney)
- Living Will
- POLST Form (also known as a MOST Form and a TPOPP Form)
- CPR Directive
A Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care form allows a person to legally choose who they would want to make medical treatment decisions if they were not able to make those decisions for themselves in the future, typically because of an illness or injury that changes their ability to understand and communicate about their health issues and medical treatment options. These forms can have different names in each state. For example, in Colorado it is called a Medical Durable Power of Attorney; in Kansas it is called a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care; and in Utah it is called a Health Care Power of Attorney. In Utah, the Health Care Power of Attorney is part of the Utah Advance Health Care Directive form.
Colorado, Kansas, and Utah all have laws that allow these forms to be used and each state has different requirements for making them legally valid. If a person chooses to complete one of these forms, it is recommended that they complete the form for the state that they live in.
Resources
More information:
Just the form(s):
A Living Will form allows a person to legally plan their future medical treatment if they lose the ability to make decisions for themselves. Living Wills can have different names and forms in each state. For example, in Colorado it is also called an Advance Directive for Surgical/Medical Treatment; in Kansas it is also called a Healthcare Treatment Directive; and in Utah it is also called a Utah Advance Health Care Directive.
Colorado, Kansas, and Utah all have laws that allow these forms to be used and each state has different requirements for making them legally valid. Each state’s form also has different medical treatment choices to choose from and different conditions when the form would take effect. If a person chooses to complete one of these forms, it is recommended that they complete the form for the state that they live in.
Resources
More information:
Just the form(s):
A POLST form allows a person to medically and legally plan for their future medical treatment if they become seriously ill. These forms are considered medical orders since they are required to be signed by a health care provider and, unlike Living Wills, they can be followed by emergency medical providers, like paramedics. These forms include specific choices about a person’s instructions for life-prolonging
medical treatment, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), mechanical ventilation, and artificial nutrition.
POLST forms can have different names and forms in each state. For example, in Colorado it is called a MOST (Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment) form. In Kansas it is called a TPOPP (Transportable Physician Orders for Patient Preferences) form. In Utah it is called a POLST (Provider Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form.
If a person chooses to complete one of these forms, it is recommended that they complete the form for the state that they live in with the assistance of one of their health care providers.
Resources
More information:
Just the form(s):
A CPR Directive allows a person to communicate their medical treatment plan about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). These forms are considered medical orders since they are required to be signed by a physician. They take effect if that person has a condition that causes their heart to stop beating and their lungs to stop breathing, also known as a cardiac arrest. CPR Directives primarily communicate a preference not to receive CPR. Many states have adopted POLST forms to replace the use of CPR Directives, as POLST forms also allow a person to communicate that they will want attempts at CPR if they have a cardiac arrest. Other states allow both POLST forms and CPR Directives to be legally recognized.
Colorado and Kansas law allows CPR Directives to be legally recognized. Utah only recognizes the POLST form to communicate a plan regarding the use of CPR.
If a person chooses to complete one of these forms, it is recommended that they complete the form for the state that they live in with the assistance of one of their health care providers.
Resources
More information and the form:
- Colorado Hospital Association "Your Right to Make Healthcare Decisions" Booklet (A CPR Directive form is the last page of the booklet)
More information and the form:
- Do Not Resuscitate Directives in Kansas Article (A CPR Directive form is included at the end of the article)
