Revista médica de Chile
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Revista médica de Chile · May 2020
[Legalization of medically assisted death: its potential impact on the development of palliative care].
In Chile, there are four bills to legalize euthanasia, an act which public surveys report as supported by most of the population. At the legislative, healthcare and social level, there is an active debate about euthanasia, the rights of terminally ill patients and the context of Palliative Care (PC) in the country. Chilean literature on euthanasia focuses mainly on the ethical analysis of the act itself but does not address the moral legitimacy of the legalization of this practice. ⋯ This paper analyses available evidence on the potential impairment of PC development after PAD legalization. Although the analysis of evidence has some limitations, this concern is not supported by the available evidence. However, any project about PAD legalization must contemplate a factual commitment with the development of minimum PC provision, according to international recommendations.