Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST)

Massachusetts Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment is a Massachusetts initiative presented by the Department of Public Health, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, and UMass Medical School, Commonwealth Medicine.

Individuals with a life-threatening illness, who are nearing the end of life, need to know that they will be cared for with compassion and dignity, and that their preferences for medical treatment will be honored. MOLST does not eliminate the need to appoint a health care proxy. A MOLST form is one additional piece of planning that can be utilized for care at the end of life.

MOLST is a medical order with clear instructions that describes certain types of medical treatments a patient wants or does not want administered to try to keep them alive near the end of life. It is based on the person's own preferences and is honored by all health care providers. It goes into effect when it is signed.

Using a MOLST form is voluntary. To learn more about MOLST or to download a form go to www.molst-ma.org or call your doctor for more information.