Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-5-19-.03

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 420-5-19-.03 - Pediatric Palliative and End of Life (PPEL) Care Orders

(1) Definitions.

(a) Attending Physician. The physician selected by, or assigned to, the patient who has primary responsibility for the treatment and care of the patient.

(b) Health Care Provider. A person who is licensed, certified, registered, or otherwise authorized by the law of this state to administer or provide health care in the ordinary course of business or in the practice of a profession.

(c) Pediatric Palliative and End of Life (PPEL) Care Order. A directive that, once executed by the representative of a qualified minor and entered into the record by the attending physician of the qualified minor in accordance with Section 22-8A-15, Code of Ala. 1975, becomes the medical order for all health care providers with respect to the extent of use of emergency medical equipment and treatment, medication, and any other technological or medical interventions available to provide palliative and supportive care to the qualified minor.

(d) Physician. A person licensed to practice medicine and osteopathy in the state of Alabama.

(e) Qualified Minor. An individual ranging in age from birth until the age of 19 who has been diagnosed as a terminally ill or injured patient and whose diagnosis has been confirmed by at least one additional physician who is not the patient's attending physician.

(f) Representative of a Qualified Minor. Any of the following:

1. A parent of a qualified minor whose medical decision-making rights have not been restricted.

2. A legal guardian of a qualified minor.

3. A person acting as a parent, as the term is defined in Section 30-3B-102, Code of Ala. 1975, of a qualified minor.

(2) Representatives of qualified minors seeking to execute a PPEL Care Order, and attending physicians intending to enter a PPEL Care Order into the medical record of a qualified minor, shall utilize the form attached hereto as Appendix III which, when properly completed and executed, shall constitute the PPEL Care Order authorized by Act 2018-466.

(3) PPEL Care Orders issued in accordance with this rule shall remain valid and in effect until revoked pursuant to Section 22-8A-5, Code of Ala. 1975, or by other recognized means. Qualified emergency medical services personnel and individual licensed health care providers in any facility including those operated, licensed, or owned by another state agency are authorized to follow PPEL Care Orders that are available, known to them, and executed in accordance with this rule.

(4) If a person with a PPEL Care Order is transferred from one health care facility to another health care facility, the health care facility initiating the transfer must communicate the existence of the order to the receiving facility prior to, during, or as soon as reasonably possible after the transfer. Upon obtaining a copy of a PPEL Care Order, the receiving facility shall make the order a part of the patient's medical record.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-5-19-.03

Adopted by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVII, Issue No. 07, April 30, 2019, eff. 6/2/2019.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVII, Issue No. 12, September 30, 2019, eff. 11/14/2019.

Author: Dennis Blair

Statutory Authority: Act No. 2018-466.