Dobscha, Steven K., Linda Ganzini, and Elizabeth R. Goy.”Why Oregon Patients Request Assisted Suicide.” Journal of General Internal Medicine (2008). n. pag. Web. 23 Jan 2014. Humphry, Derek.
Physician assisted suicide/dying (PAD) is it good or bad? PAD is referred to when physician provides patients who are terminally ill with prescriptions of a lethal dose of medication, upon the patient’s request, which the patient intends to use to end their own life (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2011); another option that is close to physician assisted suicide is Euthanasia. Euthanasia is the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2011). Physician assisted suicide / dying, is different from Euthanasia, the main difference on how the act is performed on ending the patient’s life. Physician assisted suicide the patient is the one who self-administers the lethal injection.
Euthanasia involves a physician actively injecting a patient with a legal drug in order to end life (Engdahl 16). However, this is not the case when it comes to physician-assisted suicide. According to “Assisted Suicide Overview” by Lee Stingl and M. Alexander, physician-assisted suicide is any case in which a doctor gives a patient (usually someone with a terminal illness) the means to carry out their own suicide. Typically this is done by providing access to a lethal dose of medication, which the patient then self-administers. In other words, physician-assisted suicide is when a physician helps a patient end their own life by prescribing lethal drugs (Engdahl 16).
New England Journal of Medicine, 350(20), 2029–2032. Schroepfer, A. (2008). Social relationships and their role in the consideration to hasten death. Gerontologist, 48(5), 612-621.
When a doctor directly guides a patient (with their consent) to end his or her life by lethal injection, this ethic is called voluntary or as active euthanasia. Though if a doctor may not give a dosage of lethal for a patient, if the he or she provides the utilities to end the patients life, that is known as physician assisted suicide. (“Right
Physician assisted suicide helps terminally ill patients commit suicide to relieve them of their pain. According to the website kevinmd.com, James C. Salwitz, an oncologist who blogs on the website Sunrise Rounds states in the article “An argument against physician assisted suicide”, that “quality of life at the end of one’s life is not guaranteed and perhaps not even likely.” Physician assisted suicide can be beneficial to a patient who prefer quality of life versus longevity. In addition, a patient who is experiencing a terminal illness should have a right to choose death over life and visa-versa. According to merriam-webster online dictionary physician assisted suicide is “suicide by a patient facilitated by means or information (as a drug prescription or indication of the lethal dosage) provided by a physician who is aware of how the patient intends to use such means or information.” According to wikipedia.com, an online encyclopedia; there are certain requirements that need to be met in order to be eligible for physician assisted suicide, such as the patient being within six months of death. In addition, Wikipedia states "The process is set forth in law, including the requirements that the patient must be of sound mind when requesting assisted suicide, as confirmed by a doctor and other witnesses, and the patient must be diagnosed with a terminal illness."
25 Mar. 2014. McCormick, Andrew J. "Self-Determination, The Right To Die, And Culture: A Literature Review." Social Work 56.2 (2011): 119-128.
Getting any confusion out of the way of PAS and Euthanasia is important. There are a few differences. First, Euthanasia is a treatment that the doctor literally takes the critically ill patients life. While, PAS is where the doctor gives the patient the means and information, and the patient takes the treatment themselves. Euthanasia results in critically ill patients dying, even without their consent, to end suffering.
Euthanasia is the killing of the terminally ill to relieve them of suffering. It may occur through carrying out an action (e.g. overdosing to a patient) or the absence of action (e.g. not ensuring the patient is fed). Euthanasia may be requested by the patient, his relatives, his medics or at times, even courts (BBC, 2013).
Voluntary euthanasia is being put to death with the consent of the patient; involuntary is where the patient is to ill to give consent, so a physician or close family member gives consent for them. Passive euthanasia is when common treatments, such as, antibiotics, pain medications, or surgery, are withheld. Active euthanasia is the use of lethal substances that will end a patient’s life. No matter what form of euthanasia is used... ... middle of paper ... ...a. Hamlon Kathi. “Could euthanasia or assisted suicide be used as a means of health care cost containment?” Patient’s rights council.