Article: Implications of Voluntary Assisted Dying for Advance Care Planning

Voluntary assisted dying is now lawful in all Australian states, with territories likely to follow. As this new end-of-life choice becomes more widely available and known, we should anticipate it arising during end-of-life care discussions with patients. In Australia, unlike some international models, voluntary assisted dying is not available to people without decision-making capacity. Therefore, patients cannot request voluntary assisted dying through an advance care directive or other advance care planning document. However, some competent adult patients undertaking advance care planning may want to discuss voluntary assisted dying. Reflection is needed to prepare patients, clinicians and health services for discussions about voluntary assisted dying during advance care planning.