Physician Assisted Suicide
argumentative Essay
1259 words
As recently the New Mexico judge allowed the physician to aid the dying of the patients that has the terminally illness, the state of New Mexico will potentially become the 5th state in the United States after Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont. This issue soon become the most eye-catching issues recently and brought up the debate of such issue along with the medical ethics, religions and human rights that was already goes along for decades, and this article will contain the argument that why should the physician-assisted suicide along with its’ legitimate and voluntarily practice should be justified from the perspective of the autonomy of the patients and it’s incununous to the society under current circumstances.
Definition of physician-assisted suicide
It’s hard to recognize the outcome and have an objective view about certain issue without knowing what is its’ actual definition. The definition of physician-assisted suicide is “when a person - typically someone suffering from an incurable illness or chronic intense pain - intentionally kills him/herself with the help of a doctor. A doctor may prescribe drugs on the understanding that the patient intends to use them to take a fatal overdose; or a doctor may insert an intravenous needle into the arm of a patient, who then pushes a switch to trigger a fatal injection”( ETHICAL DEBATE: On the horns of a dilemma.）.
People usually are unable to distinguish the physician-assisted suicide from the euthanasia. In fact, “assisted suicide differs from euthanasia, which is when someone other than the patient ends the patient's life as painlessly as possible out of mercy. Euthanasia may be active, such as when a doctor gives a lethal injection to a patient. It can also be passive, ...
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...of Family Caregivers Support the Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide." Mental Health Weekly Digest. 17 Jun. 2013: 75. eLibrary. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
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Horgan, John., Johnson, Johnny.. "Trends in Healthcare: Seeking a Better Way to Die." Scientific American 276. (1997):100-105. eLibrary. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
McCormick, J, Andrew.. "Self-Determination, the Right to Die, and Culture: A Literature Review." Social Work 2(2011):119. eLibrary. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
Steinbrook, Robert. "Physician-assisted suicide in Oregon--an uncertain future." New England Journal of Medicine 6(2002):460. eLibrary. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
"Suicide; No Evidence Physician Assisted Death Leads to "Slippery Slope"." Mental Health Weekly Digest. 08 Oct. 2007: 41. eLibrary. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that physician-assisted suicide should be justified from the perspective of autonomy of the patients and incununity to the society.
- Explains the definition of physician-assisted suicide. it's hard to recognize the outcome and have an objective view about certain issue without knowing its' actual definition.
- Explains that assisted suicide differs from euthanasia, which is when someone else ends the patient's life as painlessly as possible out of mercy.
- Explains that the actual practice physician assisted suicide must be done by the patient himself rather than the physician, which means the involuntary practice and abuse of such practice is unlikely.
- Argues that the legalization of physician-assisted suicide could be beneficial to the majority of people if they could make such choice when they feel like necessary.
- Opines that the right of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness is unalienable and should not be prohibited by law.
- Opines that the outcome of the policy in such region could be great reference to make the decision that should this law be adapted and how to set up the law to regulate such practice.
- Compares the death with dignity act with the "slippery slope" suggested by the people who opposed the legalization of physician-assisted suicide.
- Explains that in the netherlands, both assisted suicide and euthanasia are legal. the patient must be suffering unbearably and have no hope of improvement.
- Explains that the netherlands has 9,700 requests to die annually, of which 3,800 receive euthanasia, and assisted suicide accounts for 2.5 per cent of all deaths.
- Concludes that the article demonstrated that physician-assisted suicide is not only innocuous to entire society, but also beneficial to the people that need such service.
- Explains that more than 65% of family caregivers support the legalization of physician- assisted suicide.
- Explains that self-determination, the right to die, and culture: a literature review.
Related
- analytical
- opinionated
- explanatory
- Physician Assisted Suicideanalytical essayAssisted Suicide Physician assisted suicide, also known as right to die has become a hot button issue within the last twenty years. The reason behind the interest is because in the “land of the free” known as America, that promotes independence and personal rights; it seems quite regressive to many to deny a person their right to die. After the 1997 Supreme Court decision which declined to nationally recognize assisted suicide, Chief Justice William Rehquist stated this issue best when he said we are “engaged in an earnest and profound debate about the morality, legality and practicality of physician assisted suicide as it should in a democratic society”(Karim Paragraph 10). Cut to 2014 and over ten years later this issue has gained more momentum than ever, specifically in California after the California Compassionate Choices Act following the passing and implementation of The Dignity Act in Oregon (Tucker 1611). The benefits of assisted suicide include an end in suffering for patients while saving their family from future debt and allowing their organs and the energy used to keep them alive to save others who can live a complete and healthy life.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that physician assisted suicide, also known as right to die, has become a hot button issue within the last twenty years.
- Argues that physician assisted suicide prevents pain and suffering surrounding the final months and days of a person's life by their choice alone.
- Explains that autonomy is synonymous with independence and is often brought up as a major pro for assisted suicide because terminally ill want to keep their autonomy and not depend on anyone in their final days.
- Explains that physician assisted suicide is irrational and selfish to some, but benefits include preventing family from accruing future debt. california could prevent debt and misery surrounding dying people by adopting the death with dignity act.
- Opines that prolonging a life when the outcome is death is not the state's business. doctors' main goal is to save lives, but some patients may be able to donate viable organs and help others.
- Argues that physician assisted suicide is morally wrong and should not be further implemented in our country for that reason alone.
- Cites alstyne, william van, dahl, e., and n. levy. "the case for physician assisted suicide: how can it possibly be proven?"
- Analyzes karaim, reed, steinbock, b., tucker, kathryn, and tucker.
1112 wordsRead More - The debate of Physician Assisted Suicideopinionated essayOver the years the medical field has developed many miraculous ideas and procedures. From organ transfers to blood transfusions, tons of lives have been saved. A doctor’s whole purpose is to help those dying to live. Yet, doctors have developed PAS, Physician Assisted Suicide, also known as Physician Assisted Death, and not to be mixed up with Euthanasia. Physician Assisted Suicide is morally wrong, gives doctors too much power, and it opens a door for those less critical patients to receive treatment too.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that doctors have developed pas, physician assisted suicide, and not to be mixed up with euthanasia. it is morally wrong and gives doctors too much power.
- Explains that the debate of physician assisted suicide has been going on since over 2000 years ago during the development of western medicine. dr. jack kevorkian brought up the subject in the 1950s to 1990s.
- Explains the differences between euthanasia and pas, stating that the doctor literally takes the critically ill patient's life, while the patient voluntarily takes their life.
- Analyzes how the wicked old world is trying to make jesus' sacrifice seem worthless by throwing their lives away.
- Explains that physician assisted suicide gives doctors the power to take someone's life, without having to commit the act.
- Explains that if anyone can ask for assisted suicide, the doctor could make the decision to give anyone who asks for the treatment the lethal dosage of drugs.
- Explains that suicide is an anchor that pulls you into the darkness and keeps pulling you deeper and deeper. with love and hope, suicide can be overcome.
- Opines that critically ill patients should be allowed to be physician assisted in committing suicide.
- Opines that pro-life is more than just an opinion of suicide, or abortion; it is knowing what a better life is and how to get it.
- Opines that dr. kevorkian's art is a side you've probably never seen.
- Opines that physician-assisted suicide should be legal? poll shows divide among experts.
- Opines that physician assisted suicide: compassionate liberation or murder?
- Explains that an incurably-ill patient should be able to commit physician-assisted suicide.
- Explains the "physician assisted suicide debate" at endlink/comprehensive cancer center. pretzer, michael. "assisted suicide: should it be legal?"
- Analyzes how opinion on physician-assisted suicide sharply divided, poll shows.
977 wordsRead More - Ethical Issues With Physician Assisted Suicideexplanatory essayThe discussion of physician-assisted suicide is frequently focused around the ethical implications. The confusion commonly surfaces from the simple question, what is physician-assisted suicide? Physician-assisted suicide can be defined as a circumstance in which a medical physician provides a lethal dose of medication to a patient with a fatal illness. In this case, the patient has given consent, as well as direction, to the physician to ethically aid in their death (Introduction to Physician-Assisted Suicide: At Issue,
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the ethical issues of physician-assisted suicide are emotional and controversial, as it struggles with the issue of life and death.
- Explains that life-sustaining procedures such as ventilators, feeding tubes, and treatments for infectious and terminal diseases have positively influenced modern medicine, but inadvertently cause terminal patients extensive pain and suffering.
- Explains that the discussion of physician-assisted suicide is often focused around the ethical implications. the patient has given consent to the physician to ethically aid in their death.
- Explains that euthanasia is divided into two separate classifications, namely passive and active. active and physician-assisted suicide share many of the same characteristics but differ in the role for committing the final act.
- Explains that physician-assisted suicide is legalized in six out of the fifty states in america, but there are additional states that have death with dignity laws.
824 wordsRead More - Physician Assisted Suicideopinionated essayPhysician Assisted Suicide Physician Assisted Suicide Physician assisted suicide is murder. Using euthanasia, increased dosage of morphine or injecting patient’s with a lethal combination of drugs to slow his/her breathing until he/she dies is also murder. Physician assisted suicide is morally wrong. The classical theory for physician assisted suicide is utilitarianism because according to Mosser 2010, “utilitarianism is an ethical theory that determines the moral value of an act in terms of its results and if those results produce the greatest good for the greatest number.” Utilitarianism will solve the physician assisted suicide problem if all of the physicians will stand by the oath they say.
In this essay, the author
- Explains the classical theory for physician assisted suicide is utilitarianism, which determines the moral value of an act in terms of its results.
- Explains that some physicians use euthanasia to help the patient/patients die in comfort without pain and suffering.
- Explains that suicide is not a crime, but helping someone commit suicide can be considered murder. suicides are associated with long-lasting depression, unemployment, mental-illness, intractable pain, loss of dignity, and terminal illness.
- Explains that suicide is the act of deliberately or intentionally taking one's life. assisted suicide involves helping another person commit suicide or asking for medication to self-administer and provoke death.
- Explains that the practice of physician-assisted suicide raises serious ethical and legal concerns.
- Explains that ewing cook, one of the physicians present, instructed the nurse to increase the morphine, “giving her enough until she goes.” another physician told nursing staff that several patients on the seventh floor were also too ill to survive.
- Explains that euthanasia has been widely debated in the country for decades and advocates say it is one answer for people desperate from the suffering and poor quality of life due to illness.
- Opines that one might oppose physician-assisted suicide and active euthanasia when performed by doctors on patients whether or not one is in favor of the legalization of assisted suicide.
- Explains the difference between physician assisted suicide and euthanasia. physicians administer a lethal dose of medication to terminate life, at the patient's request.
- Explains that only a very few people who receive physician assisted suicide die with intolerable suffering at the end of their lives. in belgium, patients with dementia are being euthanized with consent from families as they are unable to give consent.
- Explains that physicians are trained to prevent death or to save the lives of their patients. some physicians believe that assisted suicide will end the pain and suffering of his/her patients that has a terminal illness.
- Opines that no patient wants to suffer from any type of illness. some patients ask their physician to assist them with their death/suicide because they are in pain and it is both uncomfortable and unbearable.
- Explains that the contemporary perspective for physician suicide is emotivism, and ethical egoism.
- Explains that some patients do not have the guts to commit suicide themselves, so they ask their physician to assist them. some physicians believe that assisting patients with suicide is not wrong.
- Explains that physicians believe that assisting a patient/patients with suicide is not murder, but merely to help the patient put an end to his/her pain and suffering.
- Analyzes how the doctor acts in accordance with good medical practice, while the other commits murder. according to the hippocratic oath doctor says, "i will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it."
- Opines that the decision for the patient/patients to live or die should be determined by god. many physicians and patients believe assisted suicide or euthanasia is the answer to terminal illness, suffering and pain.
- Explains that euthanasia has place in health care:doctors. edmonton journal, a.5. mclachlan, h.
- Opines that placerville death raises questions of assisted dying.
- Cites mcclatchy - tribune business news, and taber's cyclopedic medical dictionary.
- Opines that the rejection of shaw's new perspective on euthanasia in the journal of medical ethics, 36(5), 306.
- Analyzes how placerville death raises questions of assisted suicide.
1925 wordsRead More - Physician Assisted Suicideanalytical essayAssisted suicide is a very contentious topic in the world today. Everyone has their own opinion on this subject and it is a socially debated subject that involves a person making a choice, whether it is a choice to continue on with their life or give up hope and end their life. This should be a choice a person should make for themselves. While in the United States only one state has legalized assisted suicide. I agree with assisted suicide and this paper will support my feelings on this subject.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that terminally ill patients should have the right to decide when and how their life ends — being kept alive by modern technology is cruel and inhumane.
- Opines that a terminally ill patient should not feel forced to decide to perform their own suicide, which can be painful and sometimes unsuccessful.
- Explains that assisted suicide advocates address the issue as a matter of personal freedom and personal choice, but many people think of it in terms of ethics and religion.
- Explains that physician assisted suicide is a complex issue because sentiment about the practice ranges from strong support on personal freedom to religious feedback that insists that it is murder.
- Argues that medical treatment and interventions aren't enough to ensure a dignified life. with physician assisted suicide legalized, patients with terminal conditions can die with dignity and peace.
- Concludes that the debate about physician assisted suicide is complex because of the values each side being rooted in two different areas.
- Explains gupta, deepak, and the internet journal of pain, symptom control & palliative care.
- Explains that assisted suicide is a socially debated topic that involves people making choices about whether to continue on with their lives or give up hope and end their life.
- Argues that the involvement of physicians in assisting a patient suicide is cruel and inhumane because they are supposed to be dedicated in the healing of the patient.
- Opines that death with dignity or a criminal act? a review of general semantics.
2465 wordsRead More - Ethical and Legal Debates on Assisted Suicide and Euthanasiaexplanatory essayUnderlying the ethical and legal debates over assisted suicide and euthanasia are a number of issues that focus upon the Patient, worldviews, family, and religion. Some positions on assisted suicide and euthanasia can be based upon assumptions regarding the psychodynamics to request assistance in suicide, which can be evaluated only with more research in the future. But In the meantime, a patient that is requesting assistance with suicide from a physician should receive their wish, but continue to search and try to identify other ways to relieve suffering. Although life is valuable and sacred a person should have the right to choose how they should die.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that physicians are likely to lose their job if they participate in euthanasia and assisted suicide. dr. jack kevorkian was an american pathologist and author.
- Explains that only a few places in the world allow euthanasia and assisted suicide. oregon was the first state to legalize it, according to oregon's "oregon death with dignity".
- Explains that the families of patients who were assisted in death by dr. kevorkian have a much greater degree of respect and acceptance for the patient's decision than the more usual sort of suicide.
- Explains the difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide, and how they are performed.
- Explains the ethical and legal debates over assisted suicide and euthanasia are based upon the patient, worldviews, family, and religion.
1497 wordsRead More - Assisted Suicide : A Metaphoric Weaponanalytical essayMcCarthy, Jeremiah J. ""Physician-Assisted Suicide Shows No Mercy"" Cengage Learning, Nov. 1992. Web. 21 May 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the hippocratic oath is a sworn statement or word of honor that is standard in the hospital. doctors are trained to protect those in need.
- Analyzes how john peyton, a washington state man who died of als, made an compelling statement against assisted suicide. he can influence others to act on his positivity and think about the greater things in life.
- States that bagaric, mirko, "don't encourage the grim reaper." australian (canberra) 2010 sep 21: 12.
- Explains that the hippocratic oath protects patients' welfare by making them honor-bound to always ‘do no harm’.
- Explains that euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide violate the hippocratic oath. the lutheran church—missouri synod, 2001.
1020 wordsRead More - The Right to Physician Assisted Suicideanalytical essayThe right to assisted suicide is a significant topic that concerns people all over the United States. The debates go back and forth about whether a dying patient has the right to die with the assistance of a physician. Some are against it because of religious and moral reasons. Others are for it because of their compassion and respect for the dying. Physicians are also divided on the issue. They differ where they place the line that separates relief from dying--and killing. For many the main concern with assisted suicide lies with the competence of the terminally ill. Many terminally ill patients who are in the final stages of their lives have requested doctors to aid them in exercising active euthanasia. It is sad to realize that these people are in great agony and that to them the only hope of bringing that agony to a halt is through assisted suicide.When people see the word euthanasia, they see the meaning of the word in two different lights. Euthanasia for some carries a negative connotation; it is the same as murder. For others, however, euthanasia is the act of putting someone to death painlessly, or allowing a person suffering from an incurable and painful disease or condition to die by withholding extreme medical measures. But after studying both sides of the issue, a compassionate individual must conclude that competent terminal patients should be given the right to assisted suicide in order to end their suffering, reduce the damaging financial effects of hospital care on their families, and preserve the individual right of people to determine their own fate.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the right to assisted suicide is a significant topic that concerns people all over the united states.
- Opines that medical technology is science's greatest gift to mankind, but for the terminally ill, it is just a means of prolonging suffering.
- Explains that medical technology has failed to save a loved-one, but the cost is sometimes too much for the terminally ill's family.
- Opines that terminally ill patients should be allowed to die with dignity. choosing the right to assisted suicide would be a final exercise of autonomy for the dying.
- Argues that the hippocratic oath cannot be used to deny the right to assisted suicide.
- Argues that the doctor-patient relationship would encourage distrust if assisted suicide was legalized.
- Explains that stephen reinhardt's ruling is the strongest defense for the right to assisted suicide.
- Opines that the right to assisted suicide must be freely bestowed upon terminally ill people. this would allow them to leave with dignity, save their families from financial ruin, and relieve them of insufferable pain.
- Explains cotton, paul, "medicine's position is both pivotal and precarious in assisted suicide debate." the journal of the american association.
- Analyzes smith, cheryl, "should active euthanasia be legalized: yes." american bar association journal april 1993.
1874 wordsRead More - Assisted Suicide and the right to dieanalytical essaySuicide is the 10th leading cause of death now (National).Physician assisted suicide has been around since the beginning of time, to end the suffering of patients. This issue is still being argued whether it is right and should be passed as legislation making assisted suicide dependable. Assisted Suicide is when a physician provides all the necessary needs for a patient to commit suicide without physically doing it. For a physician, assisted suicide is when the patients have to request the act to be done and for the doctor to agree. The purpose of this research paper is to bring more awareness of physician assisted suicide and if it should be legalized.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that suicide is the 10th leading cause of death now. physician assisted suicide has been around since the beginning of time, to end the suffering of patients.
- Explains that there are many people against physician assisted suicide for many different reasons. jerald bachman and others believe that assisted-suicide should never be performed regardless of the situation.
- Analyzes how ezekiel's article euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide argues that patients with depression and psychological distress are more likely to have seriously discussed hoarded drugs.
- Analyzes how paul mass gives the history of assisted-suicide and how it raised many eyebrows increasingly.
- Opines that oregon legalizing physician assisted-suicide and having a system that seems to be working gives more reason to make it legal.
- Explains that many people assume that physician assisted suicide and euthanasia are both wrong, while others say only the physician is not physically committing the act.
- Explains that the european association for palliative care promotes the voices of physicians, nurses, and social workers that specialize in the relief of pain.
- Analyzes how clark's article agrees with freit’s discussion about physician assisted-suicide, and how terminally ill patients aren't mentally stable to make serious requests.
- Analyzes how melinda lee's article "legalizing assisted suicide----views of physicians in oregon" is making physician assisted suicide more reason to make it legal.
- Analyzes seal's survey of doctors and their feelings about assisted-suicide. 176 of them favored for assisted suicide, saying that they feel they are helping and are the best interest of their patients.
- Agrees with most articles regarding physician assisted-suicide and the right to die. there have been numerous tests, surveys, etc. on the patients, doctors, and society on this controversial issue.
1242 wordsRead More - Legalize Euthanasiaexplanatory essay...Prevention. "Physician-Assisted Suicide Should Not Be Legalized." Opposing Viewpoints: Problems of Death. Ed. James D. Torr and Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Harford Technical High School - MD. 15 Mar. 2010 .
In this essay, the author
- Explains that euthanasia is a controversial topic in the world today. it is the act of killing someone painlessly, especially someone suffering from an incurable illness.
- Explains that euthanasia and assisted suicide is a rising controversial problem in the world. many people are against the idea of helping someone 'kill themselves'
- Explains that the solution to having the patient consent to euthansia and have legal documentation of the consent is that they would have been evaluated to show their complete understanding of thier decision and know the consequences of that decision.
- Explains that the euthanization would not occur without the patient's consent and legal documentation of the consent.
- Opines that euthanasia would protect those with emotional and phycological problems and help them seek help and medical treatment instead of suicide.
- Explains that euthanasia is a way of painlessly killing someone, especially one who is suffering.
- Explains that euthanasia is a way to help cause less pain on you and your family. it would only be decided by you alone, just like the decision to have living will.
- Explains that the right-to-die movement supports death on demand.
- Explains that people have the right to control the time and manner of their death. at issue: the right to die.
- Opines that physician-assisted suicide should not be legalized.
- Explains that individuals do not have a right to die. opposing viewpoints resource center. gale. harford technical high school - md.
690 wordsRead More