Missed opportunity to advance debate on assisted dying

The debaters ignored abundant empirical evidence on these two points-for example: (a) Where assisted dying is allowed by law vulnerable people are under-represented among those who choose this option. 3 4 In Belgium legalisation shifted assisted dying not at patients' request to assisted dying...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ 2011-07, Vol.343 (7814), p.60-60
Main Author: Bernheim, Jan L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ASSISTED DYING DEBATE
Assisted suicide
Bereavement
Caregivers
Caregivers - psychology
Death
Empirical evidence
Ethics committees
Europe
Euthanasia
Family - psychology
Health care industry
Hospice care
Humans
Palliative care
Patients
Pratchett, Terry
Suicide, Assisted - legislation & jurisprudence
Suicide, Assisted - psychology
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Summary:The debaters ignored abundant empirical evidence on these two points-for example: (a) Where assisted dying is allowed by law vulnerable people are under-represented among those who choose this option. 3 4 In Belgium legalisation shifted assisted dying not at patients' request to assisted dying at patients' request and increased carefulness about end of life decisions. 4 Over this time Belgians' confidence in their healthcare system has risen-from 87% in 1999 to 92% in 2008. (b) In the three Benelux countries, palliative care greatly expanded after assisted dying was legalised. In Belgium about half the cases of euthanasia occur at the end of a multidisciplinary palliative care pathway. 5 Palliative care and assisted dying are not necessarily incompatible; they can mutually reinforce each other. 6 Competing interests:
ISSN:0959-8138
1468-5833
1756-1833
DOI:10.1136/bmj.d4221