ArticleBMC palliative care2022
Discussing patient preferences for levels of life-sustaining treatment: development and pilot testing of a Danish POLST form.
Article in BMC palliative care, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Translation and pilot-testing of the ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) form into Danish.Resuscitation plus · 2026Article
- Shared decision-making with older people on TReatment Escalation planning for Acute deterioration in the emergency Medical Setting - Observed (STREAMS-O): an ethnographic study.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Article
- Perspectives of healthcare professionals and older patients on shared decision-making for treatment escalation planning in the acute hospital setting: a systematic review and qualitative thematic synthesis.EClinicalMedicine · 2023Article
- Responses to Open Peer Commentaries about "Timely dying in dementia: use patients' judgments and broaden the concept of suffering" and "Can an effective end-of-life intervention for advanced dementia be viewed as moral?"Alzheimer's & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands)Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMedically frail and/or chronically ill patients are often admitted to Danish hospitals without documentation of patient preferences. This may lead to inappropriate care. Modelled on the American Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form, the purpose of the study was to develop and pilot test a Danish POLST form to ensure that patients' preferences for levels of life-sustaining treatment are known and documented.
methodsThe study was a mixed methods study. In the initial phase, a Danish POLST form was developed on the basis of literature and recommendations from the National POLST organisation in the US. A pilot test of the Danish POLST form was conducted in hospital wards, general practitioners' clinics, and nursing homes. Patients were eligible for inclusion if death was assessed as likely within 12 months. The patient and his/her physician engaged in a conversation where patient values, beliefs, goals for care, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment alternatives were discussed. The POLST form was completed based on the patient's values and preferences. Family members and/or nursing staff could participate. Participants' assessments of the POLST form were evaluated using questionnaires, and in-depth interviews were conducted to explore experiences with the POLST form and the conversation.
resultsIn total, 25 patients participated, 45 questionnaires were completed and 14 interviews were conducted. Most participants found the POLST form readable and understandable, and 93% found the POLST form usable to a high or very high degree for discussing preferences regarding life-sustaining treatment. Three themes emerged from the interviews: (a) an understandable document is essential for the conversation, (b) handling and discussing wishes, and (c) significance for the future.
conclusionThe Danish version of the POLST form is assessed by patients, families, physicians, and nurses as a useful model for obtaining and documenting Danish patients' preferences for life-sustaining treatment. However, this needs to be confirmed in a larger-scale study.
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