Supporters outside the now-abandoned case in the British High Court, rallying for infant Charlie Gard to travel to the US for experimental treatment.
Peter Nicholls/Reuters
The high-profile Charlie Gard case could change the way end-of-life decisions play out around the world.
Assisted dying legislation is likely to be introduced in Victorian Parliament within a month, and be based on a report launched today by Brian Owler and Jill Hennessy.
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Ben White, Queensland University of Technology and Lindy Willmott, Queensland University of Technology
Public opinion, shifting views in the health profession and international trends allowing assisted dying mean it will be lawful in Australia at some point. But will it be lawful in Victoria soon?
There are very few palliative care facilities in Africa.
EPA/Nic Bothma
Imagine this situation: a person has no medical illness but wishes to end his or her life purely because he or she no longer wishes to live. Should they be eligible for euthanasia or assisted suicide?
Talking about advance care planning should be seen as part of palliative care.
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During a discussion on Q&A, author Nikki Gemmell said 80% of Australians and up to 70% of Catholics and Anglicans support euthanasia laws. Is that right?
One paper reported that between 0.3% to 4.6% of all deaths are reported as euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide in jurisdictions where they are legal.
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Euthanasia and palliative sedation are categorically distinct, so the notion that we can use the latter to achieve the former is untenable.
Barbiturates have been used for several purposes including to treat sleep disorders, epilepsy and traumatic brain injury – as well as in anaesthesia and psychiatry.
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Antipsychotic medications for delirium don’t work and could harm, a new study shows. So what options are left?
Having an advance care directive ensures your values and wishes are known, even beyond a time when you can no longer speak for yourself.
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At least one-third of patients receive non-beneficial treatments at the end of their life. Having a good advance care directive that you share with others helps them know and respect your wishes.
Research shows some families pressure doctors to attempt heroic interventions on elderly relatives.
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We found one third of patients near the end of their life received non-beneficial treatments in hospitals around the world. These included initiating chemotherapy and providing emergency surgery.
California is the fifth state to legalize aid in dying.
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Why have Americans become more receptive to aid in dying, a practice that was rejected throughout the United States until Oregon changed course in 1997?
People who are over 90 when they die need considerably more support with every aspect of their daily life in their final year.
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Palliative care should be a time of shared care; when the doctor continues treating their patient’s disease while symptom control and preparation for death track alongside.
People nearing the end of their life often express fear of dying alone.
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Research shows people who suffer from loss of meaning die earlier than those who maintain purpose. We can help people find meaning again by nurturing their “spirit”.
Access to euthanasia in Belgium has been “expanding” but it’s not out of control.
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Intuitively, we believe offering someone options automatically expands their freedom. But that isn’t always true. Sometimes, more options can lead to less freedom.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne