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Case study of physician assisted suicide
Case study of physician assisted suicide
Case study of physician assisted suicide
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The Effects of Assisted Suicide Legalization
While slowly experiencing an eventual death, the pain of a life-threatening disease is unbearable. The constant anguish of a helpless cancer patient, Richard, is driving away all sanity. As he lies there on the hospital bed near his family, Richard finally makes a grave decision. He decides to call upon a physician to end his pain.
The doctor would give him medication which would lead to an inevitable death. As he knows he is going to die within a few weeks anyway, Richard questions the doctor about the medication. “Just give me the word, and I will hand it over to you,” the doctor says. “Let me add, however, that even though it may be an option, do you think it is morally right?” The doctor is obviously an honest, noble man who gives all of his patients his sincere opinion. That, in most cases, is not common in a doctor’s character. Richard is left with those words from the doctor and given time to talk about the situation with his family. After a long discussion, they realize that life is a privilege and should not be taken by choice, no matter how intense the pain is. Weeks later, at Richard’s funeral, the family feels proud of him for enduring the agonizing experience and to die naturally. The choice of physician assisted suicide may be an irrelevant issue to some, but when it comes to terminally ill patients, it is definitely an observable option. These people must realize that taking a life, whether someone else’s or their own, is dishonorable. Assisted suicide should be against the law in all states because it would have an affect on medical procedures, persuade doctors to make the wrong decisions, and change the morality of people around the country.
The people of this country are partially represented by the United States
Supreme Court. In fact, the United States Supreme Court is going to become the final judge of this important issue because two United States Court of Appeals decisions have recently ruled laws forbidding physician-assisted suicide unconstitutional (Court
1). There is no doubt that the effect of the speculations by the highest court in this country on physician-assisted suicide will be as important as anyone has witnessed in a long while. Physician-assisted suicide is one of the most controversial medical issues there is. Although a recent poll shows that 64 to 73 percent of Americans believe doctors should be admitted to end the lives of terminally ill patients under their permission, Americans may not realize what could actually happen if
As a result, life-sustaining procedures such as ventilators, feeding tubes, and treatments for infectious and terminal diseases are developing. While these life-sustaining methods have positively influenced modern medicine, they also inadvertently cause terminal patients extensive pain and suffering. Previous to the development of life-sustaining procedures, many people died in the care of their own home, however, today the majority of Americans take their last breath lying in a hospital bed. As the advancement of modern medicine continues, physicians and patients are going to encounter life-altering trials and tribulations. Arguably, the most controversial debate in modern medicine is the discussion of the ethical choice for physician-assisted suicide.
Richard was born to an alcoholic, authoritarian father and a mentally-ill mother. His parents fought quite often and lost their home to financial issues. He was torturing animals, setting fires, and wetting the bed. He developed hypochondria at an unknown age. In adolescence, he had reportedly been exhibiting unusual behavior among his peers. For example, he believed he had blood poisoning and the solution was to drink the blood
While physicians are supposed to prolong life, both sides can agree that they are also there to ease suffering. Physicians “are not limited to healing,” as people from Geneva University Medical School noted (Martin, Mauron, and Hust 55).Utilizing PAS would allow physicians to ease the person’s suffering. Despite prolonging life, again opponents argue that there are other alternatives to PAS, for example, continuous deep sedation, a form of palliative care. It is a substitute, but stated in an essay, “PAS may be morally more acceptable than CDS” (Martin, Mauron, and Hust56). Regarding that, both sides can agree PAS is the last resort for many. Evidently others feel that due to the costs, “The incentive to save money by denying treatment poses a significant danger” (Golden 829). Money would influence a patient’s judgment, but if they qualify, it would help them more than jeopardize their situation. PAS would help the patients not leave their family in credit card debt. PAS would be the appropriate choice for the
death when his mother and the king enter the room and question him on his
patient is in terrible agony, and since he is going to die anyway, it would
...ns. Patients should not be so medically ill that they are unable to make this decision. Patients should be fully conscious and understand the implications of their decision. Everything should be documented possibly even videotaped that way the doctor doesn’t lose their job, receive a lawsuit or worst jail!
...le pain to both the patient and to their families. One procedure, known as Physician-Assisted suicide, alleviates suffering by having a physician provide a patient the means to painlessly kill him or herself. This procedure however, remains controversial and illegal in many states. This is unfair to patients who wish to be assisted in seeking death and escaping their terminal illness. Despite all of the benefits that are brought about because of Physician-Assisted suicide, people across America still seek to ban the practice because it clashes with personal moral and ethical beliefs. Although many people disagree with the procedure of Physician-Assisted suicide, it should still become legal because it alleviates suffering, allows patients to die in a dignified manner, and allows people to take control of the ultimate choice, death, away from their terminal illness.
In closing, despite all of the different opinions that people have on PAS, there are many good outcomes that come with the decision. Having the right to make a “choice” is what PAS comes down to. Many argue that it is inhumane, while many will argue that it is a choice. If choosing PAS as a last dying right, then one should respect that choice. It is a choice and only the patient should have the right to choose.
It is interesting in the second reading by Sidney Hook that he chose to die during his ordeal and was refused by the doctor treating him. The doctor proclaimed that he would be thankful one day that he was not allowed to die. He looked deep inside himself and still chose to end his suffering. It turned out that he survived and made a remarkable recovery. Even though, he still says, “Each one should be permitted to make his own choice-especially when no one else is harmed by it. The responsibility for the decision, whether deemed wise or foolish, must be with the chooser.” (404.5). His doctor did not know he would recover for certain and could not see inside of him to determine his breaking point. Yet the doctor decided he would not assist him in dying.
him when he could have just died from a heart attack, which he had requested.
Critics to the idea of providing dying patients with lethal doses, fear that people will use this type those and kill others, “lack of supervision over the use of lethal drugs…risk that the drugs might be used for some other purpose”(Young 45). Young explains that another debate that has been going on within this issue is the distinction between killings patients and allowing them die. What people don’t understand is that it is not considered killing a patient if it’s the option they wished for. “If a dying patient requests help with dying because… he is … in intolerable burden, he should be benefited by a physician assisting him to die”(Young 119). Patients who are suffering from diseases that have no cure should be given the option to decide the timing and manner of their own death. Young explains that patients who are unlikely to benefit from the discovery of a cure, or with incurable medical conditions are individuals who should have access to either euthanasia or assisted suicide. Advocates agreeing to this method do understand that choosing death is a very serious matter, which is why it should not be settled in a moment. Therefore, if a patient and physician agree that a life must end and it has been discussed, and agreed, young concludes, “ if a patient asks his physician to end his life, that constitutes a request for
who stands in his way. Richard talks about a pretext for his villainy. by pointing out his physical deformity. “Why, I in this weak piping. time of peace and peace.
Physician assisted suicides is among the modern greatest challenges that come with the medical professions ethic responsibilities. Assisted suicides threaten the greater core of the profession of medicine and its integrity since it is not just a proposal towards the care of the dying but the means to their death.
A divergent set of issues and opinions involving medical care for the very seriously ill patient have dogged the bioethics community for decades. While sophisticated medical technology has allowed people to live longer, it has also caused protracted death, most often to the severe detriment of individuals and their families. Ira Byock, director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, believes too many Americans are “dying badly.” In discussing this issue, he stated, “Families cannot imagine there could be anything worse than their loved one dying, but in fact, there are things worse.” “It’s having someone you love…suffering, dying connected to machines” (CBS News, 2014). In the not distant past, the knowledge, skills, and technology were simply not available to cure, much less prolong the deaths of gravely ill people. In addition to the ethical and moral dilemmas this presents, the costs of intensive treatment often do not realize appreciable benefits. However, cost alone should not determine when care becomes “futile” as this veers medicine into an even more dangerous ethical quagmire. While preserving life with the best possible care is always good medicine, the suffering and protracted deaths caused from the continued use of futile measures benefits no one. For this reason, the determination of futility should be a joint decision between the physician, the patient, and his or her surrogate.
...feeble. Ultimately, it should be the patient’s decision on when they should be able to give up on the fight of their life. There should be an easy and painless experience such as physician assisted suicide when one feels the need to not experience suffer anymore. In the views of consequentialism the only thing that matters is if the patient finds peace and is no longer in pain. As well with social contract theory, if we are to make physician assisted suicide legal there needs to be a strict set of guidelines and rules set up so patients can be at peace without others manipulating the system. And finally, it is our duty as humans to make sure that all our actions are to be legal and ethical in regards to assisted suicide. Physician assisted suicide will still be a hot topic for years to come and the ever growing debate will help to push it further into the headlines.