Page 26 - Delaware Medical Journal - April 2018

TABLE 2: STATE ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING MEDICAL AID IN DYING
• California Medical Association
• California Hospice and Palliative Care Association
• Colorado Medical Society
• Maine Medical Association
• Maryland State Medical Society
• Massachusetts Medical Society
• Medical Society of the District of Columbia
• Minnesota Medical Association
• Missouri Hospice & Palliative Care Association
• Nevada State Medical Association
• New York State Academy of Family Physicians
• Oregon Medical Association
• Vermont Medical Society
• Hospice and Palliative Care Council of Vermont
• Washington State Psychological Association
TABLE 3: NATIONAL MEDICAL GROUPS NO LONGER OPPOSING OR ENDORSING MEDICAL AID IN DYING
• American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
• American Academy of Neurology
• American College of Legal Medicine
• American Medical Student Association
• American Medical Women’s Association
• American Nurses Association of California
• American Pharmacists Association
• American Public Health Association
• GLMA: Healthcare Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality
• Oncology Nursing Association
TABLE 4: JURISDICTIONS WHERE MEDICAL AID IN DYING IS LEGAL
• Oregon (1997)
• Washington state (2008)
• Montana (2009)
• Vermont (2013)
• California (2015)
• Colorado (2016)
• District of Columbia (2017)
Why I Support the End of Life Options Act, HB 160
Continued from page 108
poll shows that 57 percent of U.S. doctors support medical aid in dying, backing the rights of patients with an incurable illness to
In concert with many other medical and health groups, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) just announced that it was dropping its longtime opposition to legislation giving terminally ill patients
the option of medical aid in dying. This past December, the Massachusetts Medical Society announced that it dropped its longstanding opposition to medical aid in dying and adopted an informed view of neutrality after surveying its members. The physicians surveyed supported medical aid in dying by a 2 to 1 margin. Other surveys in Colorado and nearby Maryland have similar results.
Numerous state and national organizations now support or endorse medical aid in dying (Table 2, Table 3). Medical aid in dying
is currently authorized in six states and
the District of Columbia (Table 4). There is a cumulative 40 years of experience
in successfully implementing these laws without any proven incidents of abuse, misuse or coercion.
In addition, six national medical groups have endorsed medical aid in dying, including
the American College of Legal Medicine, American Medical Student Association, American Medical Women’s Association, American Nurses Association of California, American Public Health Association, GLMA: Healthcare Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality, and New York State Academy of Family Physicians.
Medical aid in dying is currently authorized in six states and the District of Columbia. Oregon, where aid in dying has been
authorized for two decades (since 1997), has been joined in succession by Washington state (2008), Montana (2009), Vermont (2013), California (2015), Colorado (2016), and the District of Columbia (2017).
The legislation being considered in Delaware is very similar to legislation that is authorized in these other jurisdictions and is completely voluntary for both the patient and for health care professionals. Medical aid in dying is consistent with the Hippocratic Oath, which says to “do no harm.” Although medicine has changed dramatically in the last several thousand years, the concept remains valid today: Do what is right for patients by honoring their end-of-life values and wishes.
Palliative care and hospice programs provide extraordinary care to patients
and my support for HB 160 in no way minimizes the importance of these programs. In spite of best efforts, there are times when even the best palliative care cannot alleviate pain and suffering.
Paradoxically, by having an aid-in-dying statute on the books, patients may feel more at ease discussing end-of-life options with their physician, including issues of depression, suicide, and death, which would give caregivers and family more insight and higher utilization of hospice and palliative care. As documented for over 20 years in Oregon and more recently in California, many patients are profoundly relieved by the simple fact that aid in dying is available.
Some in our community worry that supporting aid in dying would put us on a “slippery slope.” This has not occurred in other states, most notably Oregon, which
122
Del Med J | April 2018 | Vol. 90 | No. 4