Connecticut council outlines MOLST overhaul, digital rollout and new training plan

The Connecticut Palliative Care Council reported Wednesday that it has advanced a multi-part update to the state’s Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) process, moving to digital-first access and finishing new training modules for eligible providers. The council said the paper “lime green” form will be retired and that the statutory witness-signature requirement has been removed through the legislative process.

Council members said the changes aim to make MOLST forms easier to access and to reduce operational confusion for providers and patients. The council added that the training package has three parts: a public overview, an eligible-provider module required for anyone who will sign MOLST orders, and a specific EMS training track.

Council staff said the training will be hosted on the CTtrain learning platform so that completed training remains on individual accounts, and that stakeholders will be able to download the new form from a MOLST website link rather than requesting it from the department. Officials said the rollout timing is “late summer to early fall” but adjusted their own expectation to “mid fall” as more realistic.

Council members also discussed outreach plans: live stakeholder trainings led by experienced trainers, an FAQ document to address transition questions, and follow-up communications so providers who took previous training can confirm their status for the new process. The council requested that providers who run group trainings keep attendance records and testing results so the Department of Public Health (DPH) can record certification where appropriate.

Members raised transition questions the group plans to include in the FAQs, including whether previously trained providers will be “grandfathered” and how the department will know a provider completed training when the form becomes downloadable. Council staff said they will add those questions to the next agenda and that DPH already hosts MOLST training in CTtrain, which preserves training history in individual accounts. The council said existing lime-green forms remain valid during the transition.

Council members also noted related coordination: DPH staff and council members will meet with a UConn palliative care physician and other stakeholders to review changes and training content. The council asked members to send suggested FAQ items to staff for compilation. No formal vote or binding regulatory change was taken at the meeting; the council described ongoing implementation steps and outreach plans.

The council indicated it will continue to revise web-based FAQs, update policies and procedures, and offer stakeholder trainings when the new form and system are released.

The council will revisit the rollout and FAQ language at its next meetings; staff said they will add transition and training documentation to the agenda for upcoming sessions.