Accessing the ePOLST Registry

Organizations can access the ePOLST Registry through either a standalone portal or an EHR integration. The right choice depends on your organization's priorities, technical capacity, workflow needs, and resources. This decision should be made early as each approach takes time to plan, build, and test.

What is the ePOLST Registry?

The MassPOLST ePOLST Registry is a secure, statewide electronic system for creating, storing, and accessing POLST forms. Organizations will use the MyDirectives platform to access the registry, either through integration with their electronic health record (EHR) or through a secure web-based portal.

The decision: standalone or integrated

Access approach	Standalone (web-based)	EHR-integrated
What it is	Access the registry through a web login, outside your EHR	Access the registry directly inside your EHR
Strengths	Fast to deploy, minimal IT build, lower cost, works across multiple EHRs.	Single sign-on, launches in the patient record, can customize to add flags and alerts
Trade-offs	Separate login* and manual patient lookup, potential adoption risk	Greater resource needs, possible EHR vendor fees; EHR version dependency

* SSO option may be available for standalone; fees assumed by organization.

How to set up integrated access

1. Review the technical implementation guide specific to your EHR

   Review the technical implementation guide for your EHR (linked below) to assess whether integration is a good fit for your organization at this time. Reach out to your EHR vendor to confirm timeline and any associated fees. For the initial ePOLST Registry launch, integration is available for EPIC, Cerner, Meditech, and PointClickCare. 

   • EPIC
   • Cerner
   • Meditech
   • PointClickCare

2. Complete the MassPOLST intake form

   Once you've decided to move forward with integration, complete the MassPOLST intake form, providing a primary contact and choosing integrated access. This places your organization in the integration queue. It is critical that you add the MyDirectives.com domain name to your email ALLOW LIST to prevent email filtering issues. 

   Intake Form

3. Reach out to your organization's legal team

   Your organization will likely require a Business Associate Agreement with MyDirectives because PHI will be exchanged. Your team should contact your organization's legal team and reach out to [e-mail] as early as possible to begin this process. 

   MyDirectives BAA

4. Summer 2026- Early 2027: Rolling integrations with MyDirectives

   Integrations will be starting late summer/early fall and continuing through early 2027. MyDirectives will give you an estimated timeline for integration.

5. Early 2027: Staff completes training

   Training on using the ePOLST Registry training will be available to your staff through MyDirectives. For training on serious illness communication and POLST in clinical practice, visit the training page. 

6. Go live!

   The MassPOLST ePOLST Registry will go live on April 6, 2027. As of that date, all medical orders for life-sustaining treatment in Massachusetts will be created as POLSTs in the ePOLST Registry. MOLST forms will not be created after this date. However, existing MOLST forms will continue to be honored. 

How to set up standalone access

1. Complete the MassPOLST intake form

   Complete the MassPOLST intake form, providing a lead contact person for your site and choosing standalone access. It is critical that you add the MyDirectives.com domain name to your email ALLOW LIST to prevent email filtering issues. 

   Intake Form

2. Reach out to your business and legal teams

   Your organization will likely require a Business Associate Agreement with MyDirectives because PHI will be exchanged. Your team should contact your organization's legal teams and reach out to [e-mail] as early as possible to begin this process. 

   MyDirectives BAA

3. Summer/Fall 2026: MyDirectives contacts you to set up your organization.

   MyDirectives will contact the person who submitted the intake form to assign an administrator for the ePOLST Registry and to obtain your organization's information for the registration and onboarding process. Your administrator will have access to the ePOLST Registry test environment and can register other users in the test environment.  

4. Early 2027: Staff self-provision accounts and complete any training ahead of go-live.

   MyDirectives will provide information to your system administrator on how to support your staff in self-provisioning their accounts for ePOLST Registry access. Training on using the ePOLST Registry training will also be available to your staff through MyDirectives. For training on serious illness communication and POLST in clinical practice, see the training page. 

5. Go Live

   The MassPOLST ePOLST Registry will go live on April 6, 2027. As of that date, all medical orders medical orders for life-sustaining treatment in Massachusetts will be created as POLSTs in the ePOLST Registry. MOLST forms will not be created after this date. However, existing MOLST forms will continue to be honored. 

*Timing reflects current MassPOLST guidance and may shift — confirm dates as you plan.

How to get support

Office hours: 

We will be holding virtual office hours twice monthly where you can bring questions about ePOLST Registry implementation and MassPOLST. 

First Wednesday of every month from 3-4pm. Join office hours 

Third Thursday of every month from 9-10am. Join office hours  

MyDirectives Team:

You can reach the MyDirectives team at: [e-mail]