ArticleJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2024
Factors influencing clinician decision-making about POLST use with nursing facility residents: A qualitative study.
Article in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Advance Care Planning Motivators Among Adults With Serious Illness.JAMA network open · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundNational POLST guidance indicates POLST is intended for individuals at risk of life-threatening clinical events due to serious illness. Even though this patient population includes many, but not all, nursing facility residents, there is evidence that POLST is used broadly in this setting. This study aimed to identify clinician perspectives regarding factors that influence their decision-making about whether to use POLST with nursing facility residents and to distinguish between inappropriate and appropriate use.
methodsWe conducted a descriptive qualitative study to explore the experience of nursing facility clinicians using POLST with residents and deciding who is appropriate and inappropriate for POLST. Participants were purposively sampled from multiple states using POLST. Interviews were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. We used rapid qualitative analysis to code data and identify themes.
resultsWe interviewed 28 clinicians from 14 states about how they decided whether to use POLST with nursing facility residents and to distinguish between inappropriate and appropriate use. Four themes emerged as factors driving clinician-decision-making POLST use: (1) belief that "everyone is appropriate"; (2) resident and family preferences; (3) resident health status; and (4) policies requiring POLST [Correction added after first online publication on 07 Feb 2024. The word "For" has been changed to "Four" in the previous sentence.]. In most cases, participants cited resident and family preferences for treatment limitations as well as prognosis and clinical assessments in determining when POLST use was appropriate. Factors influencing potentially inappropriate POLST use included nursing facility policies requiring POLST completion that preempted clinical judgments of appropriateness.
conclusionsFindings highlight the disconnect between National POLST guidance and current use of POLST in nursing facilities. Policies requiring POLST use in nursing facilities and the belief that "everyone is appropriate" may impede clinician autonomy and lead to potentially inappropriate POLST use. Given varying approaches to POLST use in nursing facilities, there is a need to refocus attention on the intended population for POLST.
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