Physician Assisted Suicide Research Paper

According to Paul J. van der Wal et al. in ¨Euthanasia, Physician-Assisted Suicide, and Other Medical Practices Involving the End of Life in the Netherlands, 1990–1995¨, he addresses that assisted suicide should be legal and regulated. The authors’ purpose of writing this journal article is to make reliable estimates of euthanasia; to describe patients and physicians, and to evaluate changes between 1990 and 1995. Even though assisted suicide is a growing taboo, it is being practiced more each and every day. Paul J. van der Wal et al. chose to conduct two studies to answer their hypotheses.

1. (problem – PAS): In today’s society, Physician Assisted Suicide is one of the most questionable and debatable issues. Many people feel that it is wrong for people to ask their doctor to help them end their life; while others feel it is their right to choose between the right to life and the right to death. “Suffering has always been a part of human existence.” (PAS) “Physicians have no similar duty to provide actions, such as assistance in suicide, simply because they have been requested by patients. In deciding how to respond to patients ' requests, physicians should use their judgment about the medical appropriateness of the request.” (Bernat, JL) Physician Assisted Suicide differs from withholding or discontinuing medical treatment, it consists of doctors providing a competent patient with a prescription for medication to aid in the use to end their life.

There has been much debate on the morality of physician-assisted suicide. Physician-assisted suicide is a controversial and complicated matter. I argue that physician-assisted suicide, where a doctor prescribes a lethal dose of medication to a patient per request so they may end their life voluntarily, is moral and should be legalized.

Should physician-assisted suicide be legal? Physician-assisted suicide should be legalized. People should finally have the choice if they wanted to. It could relieve suffering and help whoever wants to die peacefully. It could help a lot of people in the world. 79% of people say that physician-assisted suicide be legal. However it should not be legalized.

For this research paper, I want to concentrate on the issue of physician- assisted suicide. Physician suicide assisted death (PSD) is a death that has been mediated by a physician toward a patient who intends or wishes to die. In the United States, physician- assisted suicide is illegal in most states. Although, there are some states, like Oregon that have legalize physician- assisted suicide or California who is in the process of legalizing physician patient death, most states considered physician- assisted suicide as murder and physician as criminals. However, in our current constitution, the fourteenth amendment(14th) protects and guarantees people with the right to pursue any life option that supports their independence, life and pursuit

I believe physician assisted suicide should be legal because it is your right and better to do it with a doctor than by yourself at home.

The Declaration of Independence stated, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This shows that all Americans are secured with indisputable rights which must include the right to live life as well as end it if need be. Even though Physician Assisted Death is not listed in the Constitution, the Tenth Amendment states that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” However, in forty-four states, terminally-ill patients do not have the right to die. Physician Assisted Death is when a terminally-ill patient undergoes counseling before a trusted doctor can prescribe a lethal dose of drugs for the patient to terminate his life peacefully. Having Physician Assisted Death available as an option to terminally-ill will allow patients to exercise their inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness, relieve them from unbearable pain, and lessen the agony of the patient’s family.

Thirty-six year old James Foster accompanied by his wife Megan signs his do-not-resuscitate order (DNR). Both Mr. Foster and his wife are understanding of what a do-not-resuscitate order is and are in agreeance. James has stage IV prostate cancer, but he is young and his wife believes he will pull through. A month passes, and early one morning James stops breathing, the patient is coding. Nurse Compton rushes in along with other medical professionals. Mrs. Foster is screaming, “Save him. Save him. Do whatever it takes to save him. Do not let him die.” Nurse Compton knows that Mr. Foster has a do-not-resuscitate order on file and feels not only sad in regards to the situational pain that Mrs. Foster is exhibiting, but morally conflicted with

In 1981, in San Francisco, Chris Gardner (Will Smith) invests the family savings in medical scanners, which eventually financially breaks the family financially, bringing troubles to his relationship with his wife Linda (Thandie Newton). Their son Christopher (Jaden Smith) stays with Chris because he and his wife both know that he will be able to take better care of him. The misspelling of the word ‘happiness’ is obviously intentional. The mural outside of Christopher’s day care spelled it wrong everyday. Gardner pitched a fit about how he wanted it changed because it was just teaching the kids the wrong way of spelling it. The owner of the day care told him that it is not important to the kids how it is spelled. It is only important that

Although voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should be legalized, there needs to be though and a process, legally, medically, psychologically. Asking permission to die is legally illegal in most states, there are mixed views between physicians that do and do not agree with legalizing or participating in performing physician-assisted suicide. Psychologically, a therapist is an educated and knowledgeable source that will likely be able to determine if a patient is in their right state of mind, based on their drastic request. According to, “The Right to Physician-Assisted Suicide on Demand,” points out that the conflict appears to be between the high value placed on self-determination, autonomy, and the high regard for the sanctity of life” (Grosswald, 2002). It goes more in depth specifying additional issues that make legalizing physician-assisted suicide difficult to agree upon. Other issues include, “a well-founded fear in the United States that is providing assisted suicide, which might

Those who fear it do their very best trying to live; those who welcome it know that it’s their time to go and don’t fight it; those who run from it spend their waking moments to live life to the fullest and laugh in the face of death; and those who run to it are those who have given up hope. Those who have given up hope try their very best to end their life with the help of both suicide and assisted suicide. If one was contemplating assisted suicide or a loved one was contemplating assisted suicide, you would want to get as much information as possible before going to a doctor finalizing the plans. When looking for information the quickest and easiest way to find it is

This case study discusses the moral problems associated with physician-assisted suicide. The Catholic Church is apposed to such euthanasia because it transgresses God's commandment not to kill innocent life, it usurps God's sovereignty over human lives, and it violates obligations to serve others and the common good (Pg. 318). I can understand why the Catholic Church would be apposed to physician-assissted suicide, however I do not take this position. I support Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. Statistics show only a very small percent of patients, 0.132 percent, chose to end their life with euthanasia under this law between 1998 and 2010. Although Christians view such a suicide equally as wrong as murder, these beliefs are not shared by all

Physician assisted suicide, a method legal is some states and countries, is a way for people under certain conditions to be prescribed a death inducing drug. Campaigners of assisted suicide claim that physician assisted suicide should be legal and available to those that meet certain requirements because it is an easy way to end someone’s struggles and pains with terminal illness. However, I think it should not be legal. Between the fact that a person is a person and deserves a life and opportunity, the business of killing will always have loopholes and problems, it is a doctor’s responsibility to make sure the patient lives, and the fact that this could desensitize the public of death.

Physician-Assisted Suicide is legalized in the following states: Oregon,California, Montana, Washington, Colorado, and Washington D.C. Oregon was the first state who legalized Physician-Assisted Suicide. “The very first annual report on the usage of the new Oregon Death with Dignity Act showed that 14 physicians prescribed medications under the law to 24 patients received prescriptions under the new law, of which 16 chose to take the medications. The patients’ median age of the patients was 69.”, (“MenuSite Navigation  Death with Dignity Act Annual Reports.” Oregon Health Authority : Death with Dignity Act Annual Reports : Death with Dignity Act : State of Oregon, www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Pages/ar-index.aspx.).

Personally, I see physician assisted suicide as a possibility for people who are terminally ill, or have an incurable disease to have the right to choose the time and the means of their own death. However, what role should mental health professionals assume in end-of-life decisions?