Patients With Serious Illnesses

If you have been diagnosed with a serious illness or are nearing the end of life, you may want to complete medical orders that outline your treatment preferences.

For North Carolina residents

MOST (Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment) form - A medical order used near the end of life. The MOST form details the patient’s wishes about CPR, levels of care for other medical interventions, antibiotics and artificial nutrition and hydration. It is signed by the patient (or the patient’s representative) and the doctor, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner. MOST is a portable medical order that can be honored by any provider in any care setting, including by emergency medical providers who may be called to the home. The MOST form is used in North Carolina.

For South Carolina residents

A scope of treatment document is in development.

For Virginia residents

POST (Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment) form is a new tool that can be used in conjunction with Virginia’s Durable Do Not Resuscitate form to make sure that your treatment wishes are known and honored.

A physician’s order used near the end of life, the POST form details the patient’s wishes about CPR, levels of care for other medical interventions, antibiotics and artificial nutrition and hydration. It is signed by the patient (or the patient’s representative) and the doctor, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner. POST is a portable medical order that can be honored across treatment settings. However, it should be used in conjunction with a Virginia Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order to prevent unwanted CPR if the patient has a cardiac arrest at home and is attended by emergency medical providers. POST forms are used in many states and currently are being piloted in South Carolina and Virginia.

Our navigators can also help you learn more about additional care options, including:

• Palliative care – Special medical care for people who are facing serious illnesses or experiencing difficult-to-manage symptoms. Palliative care is designed to give you relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness so that you can experience an improved quality of life.
• Hospice – Comfort care for people who are nearing the end of life. Hospice care focuses on providing you and your family with the highest level of comfort, compassion and quality of life so you can make the most of the time you have left.