Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 18 Sec. 5282

  • Patient: means a person who is 18 years of age or older and under the care of a physician. See
  • Physician: means an individual licensed to practice medicine under 26 Vt. See

§ 5282. Right to information

The rights of a patient under section 1871 of this title to be informed of all available options related to terminal care and under 12 V.S.A. § 1909(d) to receive answers to any specific question about the foreseeable risks and benefits of medication without the physician‘s withholding any requested information exist regardless of the purpose of the inquiry or the nature of the information. A physician who engages in discussions with a patient related to such risks and benefits in the circumstances described in this chapter shall not be construed to be assisting in or contributing to a patient’s independent decision to self-administer a lethal dose of medication, and such discussions shall not be used to establish civil or criminal liability or professional disciplinary action. (Added 2013, No. 39, § 1, eff. May 20, 2013.)