Should physician - assisted suicide be performed in a situation where the patient has a terminal disease? Physician - assisted suicide is an issue argued by opposing sides due to deep religious views held by some and the desire by medical professionals to allow their patients to determine end of life care. Assisted suicide is suicide committed with the aid of another person, sometimes a physician. In cases of physician assisted suicide, the physician administers the means of death, usually a lethal drug. In physician-assisted suicide (PAS) the patient self-administers the means of death (Helen Starks 2013). The specific method in each state varies, but mainly involves a prescription from a licensed physician approved by the state in which the
…show more content…
Anthony Orefice was 19 years old when a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. During the struggle, all he could think about is “to be dead” (nyln 2015). Twenty years later, Anthony is married, has a 7-year-old son, and manages his own medical supply business (nyln 2015). If physician assisted suicide was legal at that time, Anthony would never have a second chance at life. He is just one of the many people who initially received terminal diagnosis but have lived full lives for years. Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst at Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund said “It (doctor assisted suicide) could lead to people giving up on treatment and losing good years of their lives.” The prohibition against killing stands as the first promise of self-restraint sworn by physicians to Hippocratic Oath. The oath considers human life as sacred; therefore, commanding respect. Therefore, consent to end one’s life from the patient himself does not make killing right. While physician assisted suicide may seem like the best solution for seriously ill patients who found no purpose in living anymore, it puts a delay on recovery for those who still want to get well and live a full life. According to a youth leader blog, studies show that hospice-style palliative care or specialized medical care for seriously ill is not existent in …show more content…
According to some research, 65% of white people say they would cease all medical treatment if they suffered from an incurable disease or had chronic, debilitating pain. However, research shows that over 60% of blacks and about 55% of Hispanics would prefer their doctors to do everything possible to save their lives in the same circumstances. Religion News Service conducted interviews regarding these views and suggest the differences may be caused by religious faith and the roles of the family. Opponents of physician assisted suicide who focus on the potential for abuse typically cite several possible illegitimate motivations and incentives for physician assisted suicide. First, with over 40 million Americans now without health insurance, many persons might choose physician assisted suicide only because they cannot obtain adequate health care at the end of life. Second, even for patients with health insurance, there are well-documented and widespread inadequacies in end-of-life care that could lead patients to choose physician assisted suicide who would not do so if they had access to higher quality end-of-life care; the widespread failure to provide dying patients with adequate pain management and control is a special concern. Moreover, the availability of the "easier out" of physician assisted suicide might undermine society's and physicians' motivations to improve the
Anthony Orefice was 19 years old when a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. During the struggle, all he could think about is “to be dead” (nyln 2015). Twenty years later, Anthony is married, has a 7-year-old son, and manages his own medical supply business (nyln 2015). If physician assisted suicide was legal at that time, Anthony would never have a second chance at life. He is just one of the many people who initially received terminal diagnosis but have lived full lives for years. Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst at Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund said “It (doctor assisted suicide) could lead to people giving up on treatment and losing good years of their lives.” The prohibition against killing stands as the first promise of self-restraint sworn by physicians to Hippocratic Oath. The oath considers human life as sacred; therefore, commanding respect. Therefore, consent to end one’s life from the patient himself does not make killing right. While physician assisted suicide may seem like the best solution for seriously ill patients who found no purpose in living anymore, it puts a delay on recovery for those who still want to get well and live a full life. According to a youth leader blog, studies show that hospice-style palliative care or specialized medical care for seriously ill is not existent in …show more content…
According to some research, 65% of white people say they would cease all medical treatment if they suffered from an incurable disease or had chronic, debilitating pain. However, research shows that over 60% of blacks and about 55% of Hispanics would prefer their doctors to do everything possible to save their lives in the same circumstances. Religion News Service conducted interviews regarding these views and suggest the differences may be caused by religious faith and the roles of the family. Opponents of physician assisted suicide who focus on the potential for abuse typically cite several possible illegitimate motivations and incentives for physician assisted suicide. First, with over 40 million Americans now without health insurance, many persons might choose physician assisted suicide only because they cannot obtain adequate health care at the end of life. Second, even for patients with health insurance, there are well-documented and widespread inadequacies in end-of-life care that could lead patients to choose physician assisted suicide who would not do so if they had access to higher quality end-of-life care; the widespread failure to provide dying patients with adequate pain management and control is a special concern. Moreover, the availability of the "easier out" of physician assisted suicide might undermine society's and physicians' motivations to improve the