Alberta doctors will be explicitly banned from raising assisted death with a patient without the person first bringing it up, according to a new bill tabled in the province on Wednesday.
The goal is to ensure the potentially life-ending decisions are “initiated and driven” by people themselves.
Some critics argue that it’s “mind boggling” that, across Canada, medical assistance in dying (MAID) is being presented as a care option. The fear is that initiating a discussion about MAID risks unduly influencing someone to choose it, given doctor-patient power dynamics.
However, Canada’s MAID providers argue that doctors have a duty to disclose “all available treatment options,” including, when appropriate, MAID.
Among other changes, Alberta’s proposed Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act would, if passed, restrict all regulated health professionals, including doctors and nurse practitioners, from bringing up MAID unless the person raises it.