The Oregon physician orders for life-sustaining treatment registry: a preliminary study of emergency medical services utilization.

Background: The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form translates patient treatment preferences into medical orders. The Oregon POLST Registry provides emergency personnel 24-h access to POLST forms.

Objective: To determine if Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) can use the Oregon POLST Registry to honor patient preferences.