Is Physician-Assisted Suicide a Good Idea?
Imagine having a relative with a terminal illness; perhaps this person feels that his only option is assisted-suicide. Now, put yourself into his shoes. Would you choose to live the rest of your days in pain, or would you choose to die with a sense of dignity? Physician-assisted suicide has been prohibited for many years. Numerous physicians have given their input on the subject, enlightening a multitude of people on the fundamentals of assisted-suicide. Others have stated their opinions on the topic and the way that it violates many people’s moral judgement. Although opposing viewpoints argue that physician assisted suicide is not a beneficial treatment for medical patients, the medicalization of
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The decision to end the patient’s life through assisted-suicide is a decision “central to personal dignity and autonomy”
(Hallock 1). This decision helps the patient to accept the dying process, knowing that it is not out of his or her hands. The conclusion of going through with the medicalization of the patient’s suicide could help he or she to avoid becoming “vulnerable to suggestions from family members that they could make everyone 's life easier by ending their own” (“Death” 2) in a more forceful way than perhaps a lethal injection in a hospital.
Assisted-suicide is an over-dramatic expression for patient autonomy. Patient autonomy is defined as an “individual’s right to decide what to do with his or her own body, and the duty of the physician to relieve the patient’s suffering” (Rogatz 1). A patient should certainly have the right to choose what happens to his or her own body, but the life of a patient should not be put solely into the hands of a doctor. If he or she so chooses, physician-assisted suicide should be made available to the terminally ill and should be conceived as a “personal and intimate decision”. A physician, although it should be their obligation to help a patient, should not feel obligated to be the assistant in a person’s suicide. Assisted suicide is a source of “empowerment” for the patients, using “self-determination”, to make them feel as if they have a place in their treatment and to retain their dignity by
This assignment will discuss a case involving an individual known to me. It centres on the real and contentious issue of the “right to die”, specifically in the context of physician-assisted death. This issue is widely debated in the public eye for two reasons. The first considers under what conditions a person can choose when to die and the second considers if someone ever actually has a ‘right to die’. The following analysis will consider solutions to the ethical dilemma of physician-assisted death through the lens of three ethical theories. It will also take into account the potential influence of an individual’s religious beliefs
his or her patients feel better. However, there are cases where a doctor can only do so much.
Similar to Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act, I do believe there should be a policy with relevant criteria that best describes how to respond to patients needs and to protect vulnerable people in regards to PAS. To respect others’ autonomy or right to self-determination is to treat them as individuals having the abilities required to be rational decision makers, capable of identifying their own interests and making their own reflective choices. At the end of the day, patients should have the right to autonomous decision-making to determine for themselves what will be done to their bodies.
Physician-assisted suicide is one of the most controversial subjects in the medical field. Whether the debate is, “Should a doctor be allowed to assist in someone’s suicide?” or, “Is it the right thing to do for a dying patient?” Seeing a loved one in pain can possibly be one of the hardest things to do. But what if they were given the option to the stop the suffering? Knowing that death may be months, weeks, or days away comes along with a lot of time at hospitals, pain, and suffering. Giving terminally ill patients an option of physician-assisted suicide allows the patient to be in charge of ending all their pain and suffering they will go through as well as passing at the comfort of their family at home and not in a hospital bed.
When it comes to the topic of, should physician-assisted suicide be legal in every state, most of us will readily agree that it should be up to a terminally ill person to make that decision. Whereas some are convinced that it is inhumane, others maintain that it is a person’s decision to end their own life. I agree that physician-assisted suicide should be legal in every state because in most cases, people that are terminally ill should have the right to end their own life with the assistance of a physician.
Who gets to make the choice whether someone lives or dies? If a person has the right to live, they certainly should be able to make the choice to end their own life. The law protects each and everyone’s right to live, but when a person tries to kill themselves more than likely they will end up in a Psychiatric unit. Today we hear more and more about the debate of Physician assisted suicide and where this topic stands morally and ethically. Webster 's dictionary defines Physician assisted suicide as, suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or by information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician who is aware of the patient 's intent (Webster, 1977).
Assisted suicide is a controversial topic, with surprisingly realistic and convincing arguments from each side. The opposing side of the argument inflicts moral responsibility in anyone researching the topic. The supporters of assisted suicide impose a common argument, “my body, my choice.”.
Individuals with a terminal illness will typically go through the seven emotional stages of while coming to terms with their condition; shock, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and acceptance. Acceptance varies by the individual and has many different meanings. Some individuals try to make the time they have left last as long as possible while others focus on completing goals previously set in their life time. Some will seek forgiveness whether it be from their god(s) or from family and friends. But for a select few, acceptance means that they will try to take control of when they will pass away. To take control of something so trivial, they may look to family, friends, or even their physician. The act of voluntary termination of one’s life with the assistance of a medical care personal is referred to as physician assisted suicide, physician assisted death, or euthanasia. Physician assisted suicide allows patients to take control of what happens before and after death. It allows the patient to enjoy the dwindling life they have left and can be regulated by the government.
Significance for this audience: There are so many terminal illnesses in the world, that there is a significant chance that you will at some point know someone, if you do not already, who is
There has long been a debate over the topic of physician assisted suicide as an option for end of life. Several countries and states have passed legislation over the last few years that allows physician assisted suicide to have a form of legality therefore giving these terminal patients more autonomy in deciding what end of life care options they can choose. While it is not up to us as healthcare providers to decide for patients what they should or should not do pertaining to end of life care, it is up to us to take care of them in the best way possible. The decision to die gracefully and without pain should be a personal decision.
Terminally ill. Two heartbreaking words that everyone wishes didn’t exist but unfortunately 42 percent of Americans have had a friend or relative suffer from a terminal illness. A terminal illness is an illness that results in death. As of now, assisted suicide is only legal in eight jurisdictions. Yet in a poll in 2013, 51 percent of Americans supported physician assisted suicide. The advocacy group Compassion and Choices is contacted by around 3,000 patients a year from every state for information on how to reduce end-of-life suffering or hurry their deaths. Be clear about how assisted suicide
My life, my death, my choice is a powerful statement that describes the feelings of terminally ill patients when discussing assisted dying. Physician assisted suicide is viewed as murder, but it helps the patient terminate the pain. The doctors would still heal others they would use the treatment of physician-assisted suicide. Terminating the pain, discussing the morality of the treatment and deciding if it really corrupts medicine practices are considerations in determining people’s perspective of physician-assisted suicide.
End of life decisions are often not thought about until a serious illness or life event occurs. Specific treatment during the dying process may encompass simple to extremely complex decisions involving physical, legal, medical, spiritual, or psychosocial needs. Research shows that more than 75% of Americans have thought about their end of life wishes, but had not put those decisions in writing or designated someone on an advanced directive who would make decisions on
The right not to be forced to suffer. It should be considered as much of a crime to make someone live who with justification does not wish to continue as it is to take life without consent.