On August 25, 2015, delegates at the 148th Annual General Council of the Canadian Medical Association will be voting on a draft policy framework for euthanasia and assisted suicide.
The draft document warrants close attention because of its potential impact on freedom of conscience among health care workers who do not want to be involved with these procedures.
This podcast supplements the Project’s commentary on the draft framework, which includes an on-line annotated version.
Podcast Contents
Introduction (00:00-06:35)
- The problem of referral
- “Providing” or “participating”?
Principles Based Approach to Assisted Dying in Canada (07:09-11:27)
- Carter v. Canada
- Strategic Questions
Schedule A: Foundational Principles (11:27-19:05)
- Equity
- Respect for physician values
- Solidarity
Schedule A: Recommendations (19:38-27:33)
- Patient qualifications
- Informed decision
- Capacity
- Process map for medical decision making
- Stage 1 & 2: Requesting; Before undertaking
- Stage 3: After undertaking
Schedule A: Recommendations (28:07-31:02)
- Conscientious objection by a physician
Schedule B: Legislative criteria across jurisdictions (31:35-35:00)
- Q3: Reconcile refusal and equitable access?
Summing up (35:32-39:12)