The provision of assisted death in the context of the desire to anticipate death La prestación de ayuda a morir en el contexto del deseo de anticipar la muerte
Busquet-Duran, Xavier (Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol)
Martínez Losada, Emilio José (Instituto de Investigación en Atención Primaria Jordi Gol)
Torán Monserrat, Pere (Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol)

Date:	2024
Abstract:	The entry into force of the Organic Law on the Regulation of Euthanasia in June 2021 obliges clinicians to reconsider their professional work, in the face of a new service that expands the limits of what was considered correct until then. This new service affects the entire healthcare system, but especially primary care professionals. Beyond the procedural and moral aspects, it is necessary to rethink the assessment of the patient who expresses a wish to die. In this review, we start with the relatively recent definition of the wish to hasten death (WTHD), its causes, epidemiology and differential diagnosis. Then, we examine the different mental frameworks found in the process of dying and the concept of a «good death». Finally, we analyse the paths that can lead to the provision of aid in dying within the framework of current legislation. The WTHD is specific to requests in case of «serious and advanced illness», not in other cases contemplated by the Law. When faced with a request to activate the Aid in Dying Prestation in the context of WTHD (that is, in the proximity of death), it becomes necessary to increase the patient's sense of control and begin to work on grief. Besides, in the face of an administrative process that will necessarily be long, adapting the therapeutic efforts and sedation should be considered as possible options. We understand that it is essential not to create false expectations for patients/families and not to overload healthcare professionals with administrative tasks that will be futile. It is difficult to balance these in the face of a request for a right to which the patient should always have access.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Castellà
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	Atención primaria, Vol. 56 Núm. 9 (septiembre 2024) , p. 102895, ISSN 1578-1275

DOI: 10.1016/j.aprim.2024.102895
PMID: 38537602

9 p, 551.9 KB

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