Gov. Jerry Brown’s office on Monday said he signed the California POLST eRegistry Pilot Act, legislation from State Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis.
The bill (SB 19) requires the state Emergency Medical Services Authority to develop and pilot an electronic registry system for Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms.
A POLST document — a bright pink-colored paper — is different than an advanced directive such as a “do not resuscitate” or “death with dignity” order. POLST contains information on the types and intensity of care a person wants in the final phase of life or during a serious illness.
Advocates for POLST say an e-registry could help ensure the information is available when critical care is necessary.
“Immediate access to end-of-life treatment information is especially important during medical emergencies. However, emergency responders often have no access to hard copies of POLST forms. While the POLST form is meant to travel with the patient between care settings, the form can get lost during transfers — or never sent with the patient at all,” wrote Sandra Shewry, vice president of external engagement for the California Health Care Foundation -- one of SB 19’s supporters — in a blog earlier this year.
“We could make the information available to everyone who needs it by establishing a statewide registry that would enable care providers to access a patient's wishes as the care is being planned and provided,” Shewry added.
Wolk’s legislation stipulates the e-registry pilot will use non-state-funds, coordinate with health information exchange networks, and be operated by a contractor. The pilot also must comply with HIPAA, where applicable.
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, the e-registry pilot would cost more than $1 million annually for two years. The California Health Care Foundation estimates it would cost $2.5 million to make a statewide IT system for an online-accessible registry.
