AMA re-examining its opposition to assisted dying

During the professional meeting, the Louisiana State Medical Society introduced a motion to reaffirm the American Medical Association's policy against assisted dying. The motion was lost.

Instead, a motion callling on further study to examine the possibility of adpoting a neutral position on assisted dying was passed. The American Medical Association's Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs will investigate and report back at next year's annual meeting.

The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine adopted a position of studied neutrality in 2007, so the American Medical Association has some catching up to do.

It remains to be seen if the Australian Medical Association's investigation into moving to a stance of 'studied neutrality' will succeed, bringing it into the modern era in which eight out of ten Australians believe the option should be available in restricted circumstances.