Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 48 - PUBLIC HEALTH-GENERAL
Part I - General Administration
Subpart 1 - General
Chapter 2 - Louisiana Physician Order for Scope of Treatment
Section I-201 - Statement of Policy

Universal Citation: LA Admin Code I-201

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

A. The Department of Health and Hospitals is committed to the following.

1. It is important for people to make health care decisions before a medical crisis presents itself.

2. Health care planning is a process, rather than a single decision, that helps individuals to consider the kind of care they would want if they become seriously ill or incapacitated, and encourages them to talk to their family members or legal representative about such issues.

3. The Louisiana Physician Order for Scope of Treatment "LaPOST" form documents the wishes of a qualified patient in a physician order.

4. The hallmarks of the LaPOST form are the following:
a. immediately actionable, signed physician orders on a standardized form;

b. orders that address a range of life-sustaining interventions as well as the patient's preferred treatment for each intervention;

c. a brightly colored, clearly identifiable form;

d. a form that is recognized, adopted, and honored across treatment settings.

B. The provisions of this rule are permissive and voluntary. The completion of the Louisiana Physician Order for Scope of Treatment form merely illustrates a means of documenting a decision of a patient relative to withholding or withdrawal of medical treatment or life-sustaining procedures.

1. Nothing in this rule shall be construed to require the completion of a Louisiana physician order for scope of treatment form.

2. Nothing in this rule shall be construed to be the exclusive means by which life-sustaining procedures may be withheld or withdrawn, nor shall this rule be construed to require the application of medically inappropriate treatment or life-sustaining procedures to any patient.

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 40:1299.64.1-1299.64.6.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Louisiana may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.