Biggest decision of them all - death and assisted dying: capacity assessments and undue influence screening
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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Assessing Whole-Body Lipid-Handling Capacity in Mice
Published on: November 24, 2020
Carmelle Peisah1,2,3, Linda Sheahan1,2, Ben P White4
1University New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Abstract:
Arguably, deciding the timing and manner of one's death is the biggest decision of all. With the Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 commencing in 2019, assessing capacity to choose Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) becomes a critical issue for clinicians in Victoria, and elsewhere with on-going efforts to change the law across Australia and in New Zealand. We consider how capacity assessment and undue influence screening can be approached for VAD, the role and risks of supported decision-making, and argue for the importance of training to ensure health care professionals are educated about their role.
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