​​Healthcare providers have many challenges when it comes to discussing advance directives and advance care planning with patients. MDH has compiled these resources from various organizations to help care teams begin conversations encouraging patients to complete their advance directive. Mydirectives.com, Maryland’s repository for advance directives, is a free and easy way for patients to complete and store this important document online.  

Wallet Ca​​rd

A wallet card alerts healthcare workers that individuals have an advance directive and provides contact names and numbers. Advise patients to print, then fill out the card and carry it in their wallet. Having a supply of wallet cards printed in your office and readily available to patients may encourage their use. 

The American Hospital Association (AHA) also has a wallet card patients can print an​d use, the AHA “Put It in Writing” wallet card. 

Downloadable Advance Directive Forms

MDH encourages everyone to do their advance directive online using MyDirectives.com. Patients can choose to do their advance directive on paper, or they can use the links below to download an advance directive form and instructions. Once complete, encourage your patients to upload the forms to MyDirectives.com, Maryland’s repository for advance directives. This makes access easy for healthcare providers when these critical documents are needed. For downloadable forms in other languages, visit the Montgomery County Palliative Care and End of Life Coalition website. 

• English PDF version​ 

• ​English Word version (coming​​ soon)

• Advance Directive for Mental Health Treatment 

Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST)

A MOLST is different from an advance directive. A MOLST can be created by licensed physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. A MOLST contains specific medical orders for the patient’s current condition. An advance directive guides future healthcare decisions when patients cannot make their own healthcare decisions.

MOLST contains orders about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other life-sustaining treatments. Visit the Maryland MOLST website for more information.

Advance Care Planning Resources

The Care Planning Umbrella guides communication and medical decision-making conversations with patients, families, and caregivers.  The Condensed Conversation Guide for Identifying Patient Priorities focuses on “The One Thing” to help patients identify realistic goals and what they are willing to do to achieve them. The Serious Illness Conversation Guide provides a path for conversation flow and patient-tested language useful for engaging patients. ​​

• Care Planning Umbrella​ 

• Condensed Conversation Guide for Identifying Patient Priorities​
  

• Serious Illness Conversation Guide 

• ​Health Care Decisions Tree​​​
  

• ​​Advance Care Planning Fact Sheet​ (Billing)

• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides a guide to advance care planning documentation requirements, diagnosis codes, and billing procedures from the Medicare Learning Network (MLN).  The Advance Care Billing Planning Algorithm is a helpful tool for billing for advance directives communication and documentation.