School of Medicine

Palliative care and advanced health directives, particularly the Physician’s Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST), play significant roles in the management of seriously ill children and those with chronic medical conditions. Multiple studies have demonstrated improved patient quality of life and family sense of autonomy and control when advance health directives are implemented, yet little is known about actual end‐of-life‐care choices parents make. The goal of this project was to examine parental preferences for end‐of‐life care among patients enrolled in a pediatric palliative home care program (PPHCP) or hospice who have completed a POLST. .