The Potential Role Of Technology In Euthanasia And Assisted Death

In early 2021, Spanish lawmakers legalised euthanasia and assisted death for patients suffering from unbearable and/or incurable conditions, making Spain the sixth country in the world to do so. Prior to this move, the Netherlands expanded the eligibility to euthanasia to include advanced dementia patients, provided they made an earlier written request. Following the new law in Spain, Health Minister Carolina Darias said that “we are heading towards a more humane and fair society”. She further praised this acknowledgement of the right to an assisted death as a crucial move “towards the recognition of human rights”. As countries tend to legalise euthanasia and assisted death, it is only a matter of time before technology comes into the picture; especially given that we are in the digital health age. Indeed, in December 2021, news emerged about an organisation developing a 3D-printed capsule destined for use in peaceful assisted suicide; without the need for a professional and that may legally be operated in the country. The developers aim to de-medicalise the dying process and even plan to integrate an artificial intelligence system to gauge the person’s mental capacity before they can employ the device. Source: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/ While euthanasia and assisted death are sensitive topics to discuss, the genesis of so-called “tech-assisted dying” makes them a timely matter. Such novel methods will surely generate a host of legal and ethical...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Forecast Lifestyle medicine Bioethics Biotechnology Healthcare Policy 3d printing euthanasia assisted dying Source Type: blogs