Advance Directive vs. POLST Comparison

Compares advance directives (legal planning documents) with POLST/MOLST forms (clinician-signed medical orders). These occupy different legal and clinical lanes — confusing them creates dangerous gaps in emergency care.

Quick Start

Gather before drafting (skip if user says "use defaults"):

1. State(s) of residence — required before any jurisdiction-specific claim
2. Existing documents — current advance directive, POLST/MOLST, or neither
3. Health status — healthy / chronic illness / serious illness / advanced frailty / terminal
4. Care setting — home, hospital, SNF, assisted living
5. Named healthcare agent — appointed? successors?
6. Primary question — e.g., "Which form wins in an emergency?"

Defaults if no response: general comparison, no state-specific claims, healthy adult context, educational memo format.

Core Distinction Table