‘Right-to-die’ legislation is about choice, respect for patient rights

I had to respond to the recent op-ed, “Don’t be fooled by support for ‘medical-aid-in-dying.’ ” You’re not getting the full story.” Allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives affords individuals with an option that is grounded in long-standing legal principles of individual self-determination.

The experiences of jurisdictions that allow physicians to prescribe life-ending medications for patients to self-administer have not resulted in widespread abuses. In Oregon, the state with the first U.S. medical aid in dying statute (Death with Dignity Act) requires explicit procedures to be followed, including a discussion about other alternatives such as hospice and palliative care.

Oregon reported that .08% of deaths recorded by the state in 2023 resulted from physician-ordered life-ending medications. In the Netherlands, a pioneering jurisdiction in this area, its law providing for physician-assisted death requires a finding of “hopeless and unbearable pain.” Even in this much more liberal nation, only a small number of annual deaths take place pursuant to this Dutch law. In those jurisdictions that have legalized medically assisted death, there is no evidence to suggest that either patients or providers are coerced to participate.

Oregon also reports that a significant number of patients who are prescribed life-ending medications ultimately decide not to take these drugs. The current Illinois debate over medical aid in dying is not new, as the pros and cons of this issue have been widely addressed in numerous public arenas, both in the U.S. and abroad.

No doubt policy makers need to craft laws and regulations that clearly delineate procedures that must be followed to prevent potential abuses that could erode end of life medical standards. But ultimately, legalizing medical aid in dying offers an important choice for terminally ill patients in keeping with the current emphasis on whole person health care, and respect for patient rights.

John D. Blum, professor of health law emeritus, Loyola University

Chicago School of Law