daup h i n c m s .o rg NJ POLST FORM Similarly, in New Jersey's Practitioner's Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) seen below, there is no mention of hydration or explanation of the artificial method. * No artificial nutrition * Defined trial period of artificial nutrition * Long-term artificial nutrition. While the purpose of such a form is for a healthcare facility or a healthcare provider to understand a patient's wishes when they are incapacitated, there are times where family may be present and naturally want more done to help their loved ones. This, in turn may be against the patient's actual wishes and may only hasten their loved one's natural death. medical condition alters. Of the four forms, New York may exemplify the most thorough and simple to use that prompts practitioners to mention what each option entails rather than a checklist that may be ambiguous. References on page 14 Some solutions to avoid ambiguity in these important forms include separately addressing hydration and artificial nutrition. Under artificial nutrition, it should delineate between tube vs. parenteral route. An additional recommendation is for every practitioner to thoroughly explain each choice carefully to both the patient and family and reassess periodically as their Central PA Medicine Summer 2018 13http://www.dauphincms.org