The President of the Australian Medical Association's WA branch has questioned whether there is a high level of community support for doctor-assisted euthanasia.
Orthopaedic surgeon Omar Khorshid told a parliamentary inquiry in Perth that questions in surveys and polls could be subjective, leading to the appearance of strong public support for changes to WA's assisted dying laws.
"With all surveys it really does depend on the question and I don't believe that everyone in the community is fully informed about even what we mean by assisted suicide, voluntary assisted dying, euthanasia, what these terms mean," he said on Wednesday.
"I think if you ask an individual 'do I want the choice to determine how I die', everyone's going to say 'yes, absolutely'. But they're not necessarily thinking about the impact on other people, on society, on the vulnerable."
However, the AMA understood the community had changed its view on euthanasia and a lot of people supported assisted dying, he said.
The AMA WA officially opposes what it calls active voluntary euthanasia, where the doctor, or another party, intentionally administers a life-ending treatment.
In a 2016 national survey of AMA members, half supported introducing assisted dying legislation, while 62 per cent said they would not want to practise it themselves.
Dr Khorsid said any assisted dying scheme would have to be an opt-in system with adequate training for doctors.
He hopes the debate will spark a community conversation about end-of-life care.
"What's really important is to have a conversation with your family about your wishes as you may be nearing the end of your life. If the family are aware of what your values are and what you expect at the end-of-life then it will enable the healthcare team to deliver the care that you need."
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