New Mexico
Medical Orders for Scope
of Treatment

Your vision for your future health care is in your hands. 

Healthcare Professionals

Patients & Families

NM MOST Form 

 

Make a plan — and share your plan — to ensure you get the medical care you want and need. 

 
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Planning for your future healthcare is important to make sure you get the medical care you want if you become unable to speak for yourself. 

To do this, have a conversation with your doctor or healthcare provider. Make sure to talk about your health, possible outcomes, and treatment options. Then, ask your doctor or provider to complete the New Mexico Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) form based on your choices made during that conversation. You and your doctor or provider need to sign and date the form. The NM MOST form is a legal document that goes into effect only if you become incapacitated and are unable to speak for yourself. It helps others know what type of medical care you want.

NM MOST is part of National POLST (POLST.org). It is an approach to end-of-life planning based on conversations between patients, their loved ones, and healthcare professionals. It is designed to make sure that seriously ill or very frail patients can choose the treatments they want or do not want. This approach ensures that their wishes are documented and honored. 

The NM MOST is completed during the course of a conversation with a healthcare professional. It can be updated as needed. It is transferable between care settings.

  • The NM MOST is not for everyone. It is for patients who are seriously ill, are very frail, or have a limited life expectancy.

  • The NM MOST translates care preferences into a set of medical orders that can be understood across all care settings. It has proved to be very effective at ensuring that healthcare wishes are honored.

  • The NM MOST should be completed by the patient and their healthcare provider, based on the patient’s current state of health. It must be signed and dated by the patient or healthcare decision maker and a physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant to be valid.

  • The NM MOST is a bright green form and travels with the patient to any setting where they receive healthcare.

  • If there is a conflict between an earlier advance directive and the NM MOST, the latest choices made by the patient are followed. A patient may update their directive at any time.

  • The back of the NM MOST can be used to assign a healthcare decision maker. This page can only be completed, signed, and dated by the patient.