How Might the Rights of Patients to an Assisted Death Be Ensured?

Since both the request and provision of aid-in-dying must be voluntary, a list of physicians could be maintained by local patients’ rights groups, the patients’ rights advocate in the area, or even by hospital or hospice social workers. Beyond this, I foresee this role being taken over by non-profit organizations like Compassion in Dying, in Seattle, or local Hemlock Society chapters or similar organizations that could provide both counseling and referrals to physicians willing to work with patients who potentially qualify to receive aid.

Since both the request and provision of aid-in-dying must be voluntary, a list of physicians could be maintained by local patients’ rights groups, the patients’ rights advocate in the area, or even by hospital or hospice social workers. Beyond this, I foresee this role being taken over by non-profit organizations like Compassion in Dying, in Seattle, or local Hemlock Society chapters or similar organizations that could provide both counseling and referrals to physicians willing to work with patients who potentially qualify to receive aid. These groups would not provide aid-in-dying, but would ensure that patients could begin the qualifying process.