The Disability Rights Critique of Physician Aid in Dying Legislation

Tuesday, December 18, 2018, 12:00 AM - Wednesday, December 18, 2024, 11:59 PM

Release Date: December 18, 2018
Review Date: January 12, 2020; February 10, 2022
Expiration Date: December 18, 2024

There are currently five US states that have passed legislation allowing physicians to practice physician assisted death, and many more that are considering passing similar laws. These “death with dignity” or “end of life option” laws prevent physicians from being prosecuted for prescribing medications to hasten death to terminally ill patients. This practice, however, has created considerable controversy within the medical community and the public.  Over the past three decades, disability rights advocates have provided clear and consistent opposition to the legalization of physician aid in dying (PAD), which many believe threatens the lives and well-being of persons with disabilities. This presentation will review the common objections to PAD from disability advocates and consider what they reveal about the systemic failings of our current healthcare system.

This module is eligible for 1 hour of education on medical ethics.

1. Describe the current landscape of PAS/PAD in America.
2. Articulate the popular bioethics arguments for and against PAS/PAD.
3. Reveal what a "disability rights perspective" adds to the debate.

This module is free for Corewell Health providers and employees.

For non-Corewell Health individuals, the cost is $25.

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), AMA PRA Non-Physician (Attendance) (1.00 hours), Ethics (1.00 hours), OUWB Meaningful Participation (1.00 hours)

In support of improving patient care, Beaumont Health is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Medicine CME: Beaumont Health designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

This module is eligible for 1.0 medical ethics credits towards the State of Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) CE requirement.

Disclosures: All individuals involved with this lecture have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

 

References

Harris D, Richard B, Khanna P.  2006.  Assisted dying: the ongoing debate.

Sulmasy LS, Mueller PS.  2017. Ethics and the Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide: An American College of Physicians Position Paper.