AMA to reconsider policy against assisted suicide

American Medical Association delegates meet in Chicago this week to vote on whether the group’s Code of Medical Ethics should allow assisted suicide.

Six states and the District of Columbia have legalized the practice, but it remains divisive. The AMA has had the same guidance for a quarter-century: ‘‘Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks.’’

But ethics experts say views are evolving. ‘‘The mere fact that they’re considering it again tells you that it’s a changing climate,’’ said Art Caplan, head of medical ethics at the New York University School of Medicine.

It’s uncertain which way the vote will go, but in an open forum on the AMA’s website, doctors, delegates, and others showed strong support for the status quo.

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