American Public Health Association Releases New Policy Supporting Patients Rights To Death With Dignity

Main Category: Palliative Care / Hospice Care
Article Date: 08 Jan 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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The American Public Health Association (APHA) has released its new position supporting death with dignity for terminally-ill patients. The policy was adopted in October after careful review of Oregon's 10-year-old law, which demonstrates that the availability of aid in dying has posed no harm to patients, vulnerable populations, or physicians. APHA becomes the fourth major national medical association, and the largest, in the past year to have carefully examined the Oregon experience and data, and to have adopted policy supporting aid in dying. The others are the American College of Legal Medicine, the American Medical Students' Association, and the American Medical Women's Association.

The APHA position states:
"[APHA] supports allowing a mentally competent, terminally ill adult to obtain prescriptions for medication that the person could self-administer to control the time, place and manner of her or his impending death, whereas safeguards equivalent to those in the Oregon Death with Dignity Act are in place. Encourages that where such option is available to vulnerable populations, including people with a disability that existed prior to the terminal illness, data be collected on the incidence when vulnerable populations and people whose disabilities are independent of their terminal illness choose to hasten their death. Supports provision of information about the full range of end-of-life care options to terminally ill patients permitted by law in the state in which the patient is receiving care."

Kathryn Tucker, Compassion & Choices Legal Director, applauded the public health leaders for supporting additional patient choice at the end of life, "The review of Death with Dignity by the APHA has confirmed once again the benefits and safety of the Act. APHA support should call other states' attention to this important patients' rights policy."

The APHA noted that:

- Oregon's Death with Dignity Act (Dignity Act) has caused no harm to patients over the more than 10 years it has been implemented, including persons in vulnerable populations, including specifically persons with disabilities.

- The Dignity Act has effected significant reduction in harm by shutting down the covert, back alley practice which goes on in every state where the practice is not legal.

- The Dignity Act has galvanized significant improvement across the board in End of Life care in Oregon, as demonstrated by increased enrollment of physicians in Continuing Education on pain/symptom management, increased referrals to hospice, prescribing of more strong pain medications, a more open environment to discuss end of life issues and options, and other concrete measures of this nature.

To read the full policy please visit here.

Compassion & Choices is a nonprofit organization working to improve care and expand choice at the end of life. As a national organization with over 60 local groups and 30,000 members, we help patients and their loved ones face the end of life with calm facts and choices of action during a difficult time. We also aggressively pursue legal reform to promote pain care, put teeth in advance directives and legalize physician aid in dying.

Compassion & Choices