Which type of patients should have a POLST form?

The correct choice highlights that a POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form is specifically designed for patients with serious illness or frailty. This form serves as a medical order that conveys the patient’s preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments and resuscitation efforts.

Patients with serious illnesses, such as advanced cancer, severe heart failure, or other terminal conditions, often face complex decisions about their care. A POLST form plays a critical role in ensuring that their wishes are honored, especially in urgent situations where they may not be able to communicate them. It allows healthcare providers to understand and act according to the patient’s desires regarding interventions like CPR, ventilators, or feeding tubes.

While all patients visiting the emergency room certainly can express their wishes regarding treatment, they may not all require a POLST form. Similarly, not all elderly patients will have a serious illness or frailty; thus, the form is not limited to that demographic. Lastly, the context of elective surgeries involves patients who may be healthy or have manageable conditions, making a POLST form unnecessary in those situations. Therefore, the focus on patients with serious illness or frailty is what sets this answer apart.