Response to medical assistance in dying, palliative care, safety, and structural vulnerability

Response to medical assistance in dying, palliative care, safety, and structural vulnerability
Top-read articles of 2023 - Journal of Palliative Medicine, by Romayne Gallagher, Ramona Coelho, Philippe D. Violette, K. Sonu Gaind, Harvey Max Chochinov, and on behalf of An International Community of Palliative Care Professionals; 12/23
This report, signed by >170 scholars, clinicians, and researchers in palliative care and related fields, refutes the claims made by the previously published Medical Assistance in Dying, Palliative Care, Safety, and Structural Vulnerability. That report attempted to argue that structural vulnerability was not a concern in the provision of assisted dying (AD) by a selective review of evidence in medical literature and population studies. It claimed that palliative care has its own safety concerns, and that “misuse” of palliative care led to reports of wrongful death. We and our signatories do not feel that the conclusions reached are supported by the evidence provided in the contested report.