title: Communicating Concerns.
abstract: The Dutch Euthanasia Act seems to be set in stone. Since it took effect in 2002, it has not seen any significant amendments. Recent developments, however, indicate that a major component of the act-the review procedure-is due for revision. The review practice of the regional euthanasia review committees-responsible for applying and interpreting the law-now also extends to instances of euthanasia and assisted suicide for special categories of patients: psychiatric patients, patients with early-stage dementia, and patients whose suffering is derived from a combination of medical and existential causes. In this article, it is argued that a reconsideration of the review practice for these new cases is necessary primarily because review committees lack the legitimacy needed for the development of policies with such a large impact on society.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buijsen
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees; D003704:Dementia; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D009426:Netherlands; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
keywords: Dutch Euthanasia Act; euthanasia; legitimacy; physician-assisted suicide; review procedure; special categories of patients