Facilitators play a vital role in achieving the goal of North Texas Respecting Choices: to motivate patients to engage in conversations with their loved ones and health care providers about end-of-life care planning. Compiling key program material here makes it easy for facilitators to help patients in that important process.
MOST introductory materials
- Physicians and staff can use our warm introduction script to introduce the Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) form.
- A valuable accompaniment to the introduction script is a six-minute video (external site) that offers physicians, nurses and staff members an example of an appropriate introduction to using the MOST form.
- The MOST trifold is a patient and family resource that explains the intent of the MOST form.
- The patient letter (view PDF or download in MS Word) introduces the referred patient to the advance care facilitator and the MOST conversation.
- The Making Choices ACP Guide offers questions for patients to consider in addressing the complex and sensitive issues associated with the advance care planning process.
Fact sheets
- The CPR fact sheet can help a patient decide if they want CPR when their heart or lungs stop working.
- The tube feeding fact sheet can help patients decide if they want to try tube feeding.
- The breathing machines fact sheet can help patients learn about ventilators and the options that can help them breathe more comfortably.
Key Advance Care Planning Documents
- Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) is a form that helps patients capture and communicate their preferences for end of life and critical care.
- The Texas OOH DNR form lets people express their desire to not be resuscitated.
- The Communicating Your Choices booklet includes Medical Power of Attorney and Directive to Physician and Family or Surrogates documents, with step-by-step instructions for completing them.
- The documentation form (view PDF or download in MS Word) can help document conversations in progress; it can be uploaded into the Sandlot Health Information Exchange (HIE) to help ensure that physicians are aware of and respond to patient preferences.
More Materials
We offer a resource list highlighting recommended articles and books for those who want to learn even more about the challenges of advance care planning and the value of POLST/MOST in addressing those challenges. Please contact us to tell us whether these materials are helpful, describe what works well for you, and suggest what we might add, omit or change. Thank you for your efforts!
Videos
End-of-Life Care Planning
- In talking about death brings end-of-life benefits (external site), NBC’s Brian Williams details how much end-of-life care planning helped a family.
Advanced Care Planning
- A video on advance care planning conversations (external site) provides real-life stories and thoughts from researchers, health professionals and family members about end-of-life care.
Documenting Wishes
- Gaining strength (external site) also shows how talking about end-of-life care and putting decisions in writing helps families and physicians follow a patient’s wishes.
Talking Points
- Atul Gawande discusses four important points for talking with terminally ill patients in how to talk end-of-life with a dying patient (external site).
Additional Videos
- The California HealthCare Foundation (external site) offers more helpful videos.