The latest issue of Media Watch, compiled and annotated by Barry R. Ashpole (Ontario, Canada) can now be downloaded here. More reports can be found at IPCRC.NET
Articles from Asia Pacific Region:
Japan – Peak death
JAPAN | The Economist – 6 August 2016 – A 2008 film, “Departures,” movingly depicted the beauty and dignity of nokan, the (Buddhist- derived) ritual cleansing ceremony for the re- cently deceased, carried out at home before lay- ing the body in a coffin for cremation. The film’s success led to a wave of job applications to per- form nokan. Not long after, Asahi, a magazine, began promoting the idea of shukatsu, planning for the end of life, in the hope of interesting readers and attracting advertisers. And then the devastating tsunami of 2011 made many Japa- nese wonder openly: if I die, who will take care of my funeral, sort out my affairs, and carry out my wishes? Although Japanese are living longer, healthier lives, the huge baby-boom generation born after the second world war is starting to die just as younger Japanese are hav- ing fewer children. The population of 127 million has already peaked and is set to fall below 100 million by 2050. This year around 1 million Japanese will be born, and around 1.3 million will die. By 2040 annual deaths may approach 1.7 million. Call it peak death. It is already changing families. Traditionally, offspring would handle their deceased parents’ affairs, with neighbours helping with funeral ceremonies at home. But many more Japanese, particularly in depopulated rural areas and coastal towns, are now dying alone, with few to help them into the next world. http://goo.gl/p2pK2v
New Zealand – Assisted (or facilitated) death
NEW ZEALAND | Stuff.co.nz – 11 August 2016 – ‘More than 21,000 New Zealanders to have their say on euthanasia – MPs to hold roadshow.’ A petition to hold a parliamentary inquiry into euthana- sia has pulled in a staggering 21,000 submissions from across New Zealand. It’s an issue more than 1,800 submitters felt strongly enough about, that they also wanted to appear in front of Parliament’s Health Select Committee to speak to MPs directly. Committee chair Simon O’Connor said the MPs would hold hearings around New Zealand, to allow as many as possible the chance to submit in per- son. http://goo.gl/AUAWbX
Article highlighted to be of particular interest:
Patients’ perception of types of errors in palliative care: Results from a qualitative interview study
BMC Palliative Care | Online – 11 August 2016 – In times where more and more studies are conducted to generate “hard facts” and high-grade evidence to develop standards that define right and wrong, the authors consider this study as an important counterbalance to this development through the integration of the patients’ perspective, especially in the area of medical error management. Errors in PC touch similar aspects as in other areas of medicine, but there are also aspects specific to PC mainly related to issues such as communication, professionalism or advance care planning. The issue of errors in PC, and particularly errors from the patients’ perspective, needs much more clinical and scientific engagement and this study may be seen as a baseline and index of important aspects. Therefore, the three level model developed – including 1) Definition of and differences between errors; 2) Types of errors; and, 3) Causes, consequences, recognition, meaning, handling and prevention of errors – gives a specification of issues to explore in more depth and detail in future projects. http://goo.gl/eZrBxQ