Thank you, Madam Joint Chair. Senator Cowan, it's good to see you. Welcome, Ms. Long, from Dying with Dignity.
I want to give you a chance to respond to what we've heard so far in this session.
As you're very well aware, there are several dimensions to advance requests. There is the status of the patient, the clarity of communication, the strength of relationships, but there are also a lot of challenges. Intolerable suffering is a very subjective thing, and in the case of someone who is unable to communicate, it can be hard for an outsider to determine what their level of intolerable suffering is or whether it's meeting the definitions placed in their advance request. Also, there's informed consent, the role of third party decision-makers, the potential conflict between anticipated and present circumstances.
From of both of your viewpoints, I want to give you a chance to respond on how we could set up a system that takes into account those very real concerns that exist out there.