Increasingly, the advance directive, that important document that tells your family and your doctor who you would like to manage your end-of-life experience, are filled out every year by millions of more and more Americans. As a result of a significant public education campaign, as well as greater awareness of how things can go terribly wrong without this kind of documentation, men and women have completed this simple form to ensure their wishes are respected.
But then what happens? Only a few years ago, it was suggested that one’s directive should be kept in one’s freezer so that EMS staff could quickly refer to it during an emergency. In other cases, those medical instructions are put on thumbnail drives only to wind up in the back of a desk or a closet, never to see the light of day again.
UM-Regional Shore Health now has a serious option for those in its health network to have a safer, more accessible home for one’s directive. Using their massive EPIC database, which is the foundation of the My Portfolio website, and available to every major health database system in the country, Shore Health has begun a community campaign to encourage their patients to submit their directive to its Population Health division so that it can be uploaded into EPIC.
The Spy sat down with SRH’s Population Health’s Terry Satchell & Kathy Sellers to learn more.
This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more information about how to submit a advanced directive please contact Kathy Sellers at 410-822-1000 #5080. Or please use their website here.
Brian H Childs says
Alas, It is Advance Directive not Advanced Directive. Sorry if this seems picky but….
Eva M. Smorzaniuk MD says
Thank you Brian! Its not picky; its the correct legal term!
Carol Meredith says
Their website is extremely helpful. The information is easy to understand and clearly explains the difference between the Living Will and the MOLST form.
I just want to add that if you have a MOLST form (because you do not want to be resuscitated) then you need to carry a copy of the MOLST form with you. If you have a heart attack in the grocery store, the paramedics will do CPR unless you have it with you. It doesn’t work for someone to tell them that it’s in the freezer back home, they need the legal protection of this form which is signed by the doctor.
Eva M. Smorzaniuk MD says
Thank you, Ms. Meredith, for bringing up the subject of the MOLST form! It is an easy form to download, fill out in consultation with your family/medical advocate, then have signed by a health care provider. Stick it in your freezer, take it with you on travels, make sure everyone in your immediate circle of friends and family know it exists. You are correct – first responders do not have the time to go online and download your multi page Advance Directive before they decide to resuscitate you.