We are thrilled to announce significant updates to the Colorado End of Life Options Act that will greatly enhance access to medical aid in dying for terminally ill patients. These changes, which include a decreased waiting period and the inclusion of advance practice nurses as attending and consulting providers, represent a monumental step forward in ensuring compassionate and timely care for those facing incurable terminal illness.
One of the most impactful changes is the reduction of the waiting period. Previously, patients had to endure a grueling 15-day wait to receive their medications. This often led to desperate calls from patients and their loved ones, filled with anxiety and fear about how they could possibly wait so long. With the new, shorter waiting period, patients will now be able to receive the care they need more swiftly, alleviating much of the distress and uncertainty that they previously faced.
In addition to the decreased waiting period, advance practice nurses are now included as attending and consulting providers in the medical aid in dying process. This expansion means that patients will have greater access to qualified healthcare professionals, reducing the burden of finding someone to help them, especially in areas where there may have been a shortage of available providers. No longer will patients have to worry about who will care for them or how they will find assistance near their home.
These changes mean that patients will now find care closer to home and with decreased wait times, allowing them to have more control over the timing and manner of their death when facing an incurable terminal illness. What a profound relief this will bring to so many individuals and their families.
Heartfelt thanks to the Colorado Legislature and Governor Polis for making these compassionate and necessary changes a reality. Their dedication to improving the lives of terminally ill patients in Colorado is truly commendable. As a physician and advocate for terminally ill patients in Colorado, I am gratified that I will no longer have to tell patients they have extend their suffering due to a prolonged waiting period, nor that there isn’t anyone in their community to care for them. There are indeed remarkable achievements
