Exploring assisted dying policies for mature minors: A cross jurisdiction comparison of the Netherlands, Belgium & Canada.

Comparative analysis Cross-jurisdiction analysis Ethics Euthanasia Health policy Mature minors Medical assistance in dying

Journal

Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
ISSN: 1872-6054
Titre abrégé: Health Policy
Pays: Ireland
ID NLM: 8409431

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
24 Sep 2024
Historique:
received: 18 12 2023
revised: 12 09 2024
accepted: 22 09 2024
medline: 30 9 2024
pubmed: 30 9 2024
entrez: 29 9 2024
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) was decriminalized in Canada in 2016 for individuals 18 years or older who met eligibility criteria. Currently, individuals younger than 18 years are legally permitted to access an assisted death in the Netherlands and Belgium, but not in Canada. To-date, no work has compared factors shaping the policy processes and outcomes in these three countries. Therefore, our objective was to explore the legalities of assisted dying for minors in the Netherlands and Belgium, along with how each jurisdiction arrived at their respective policies and why the trajectory differed in Canada. After screening and compiling peer-reviewed and grey literature, we used Yanow's interpretive method for comparative work to review included materials. We framed findings using Hajer's discourse coalition theory. The Dutch and Belgian contexts relied upon a parliamentary approach in legalizing assisted dying for mature minors that emphasized suffering, whereas Canada's approach was initiated by a Supreme Court of Canada decision and emphasized human rights. While the Netherlands and Belgium viewed mature minors as capable to make decisions about assisted dying, the Canadian position on mature minors' decisional capacity with respect to assisted dying remains unsettled. This work contributes to understanding how context and sociopolitical values shape assisted dying legislations and treatment of mature minors, while highlighting areas requiring further study amid ongoing debate in Canada.

Identifiants

DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2024.105172 PMID: 39342784
pubmed: 39342784
pii: S0168-8510(24)00182-9
doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2024.105172
pii:
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

105172

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Conflict of Interest Statement The authors have no conflict of interests to declare.

Auteurs

Sydney Campbell (S)

Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M6, Canada; Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, 155 College St, 7th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M6, Canada. Electronic address: sydney.campbell@mail.utoronto.ca.

Alexandra Cernat (A)

Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, 100 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8P 1H6, Canada.

Avram Denburg (A)

Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M6, Canada; Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, 155 College St, 7th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M6, Canada; Division of Haematology and Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Fiona Moola (F)

School of Early Childhood Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada; Grandview Kids Hospital, Canada; Division of Social and Behavioural Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Jeremy Petch (J)

Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M6, Canada; Centre for Data Science and Digital Health, Hamilton Health Science Centre, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Division of Cardiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Jennifer Gibson (J)

Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M6, Canada; Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, 155 College St, 7th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M6, Canada; Division of Clinical Public Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Classifications MeSH