New Tool Helps Navigate Advanced Illness Directives

Hoosiers with advanced and progressive illnesses have a new video tool to help make decisions about their treatment. It comes after changes were made to Indiana’s POST Act.

The POST Act, or the Physician Order for Scope of Treatment Act, was established in 2013 and legislators approved changes that went into effect this month.

A new video created by Indiana University School of Nursing professor Susan Hickman outlines key treatment decisions including medical intervention or hospitalization.

"Because there are often situations where the hospitalization really does not provide the benefits people are looking for and can actually cause lots of problems," says Hickman.

Hickman wrote and produced the 12 minute video highlighting different parts of the form and options when filling it out.

"My goal is to support health care providers in having conversations with families and patients by making this information available so it can serve as a foundation for conversations about values and goals," Hickman says.

The changes to the program expand health providers who can sign the form and allow out of state versions.

Indiana lawmakers updated the related Health Care Consent Act, to add a relationship hierarchy for health care decision making if a patient loses that capacity.