A recent survey by Ipsos for Living with Dignity shows that contrary to what many people are saying, there is no consensus; people do not know what the expression "medical aid in dying" means. In fact, one of the highlights of the survey shows that:
The expression "medical aid in dying" seems very vague to the Quebec population and is subject to many different interpretations. In fact, a third of Quebecers interpret it as being the request of a patient for a doctor-given lethal injection while almost 30% understand the term as meaning the relief of symptoms throughout palliative care. Finally, almost 40% of those surveyed associate the term with the interruption of agressive therapy or with assisted suicide. This wide dispersal of answers shows the ambiguity that surrounds the expression "medical aid in dying".
An important conclusion that can be drawn from the survey is that:
It is therefore essential to clarify the terms used and to communicate in a concrete way the true sense of euthanasia and to avoid the usage of a term that is even more vague like "medical aid in dying".
ShareSEP
2013
