The Death With Dignity And Physician Assisted Suicide

There are currently three states that have adopted legislation supporting â€Å"Death with Dignity†, also known as physician-assisted suicide. Oregon, Washington, and Vermont have each enacted laws that enable a terminally ill, mentally competent, adult to decide and dictate end of life decisions up to and including the time of their death. Oregon was the first United States (U.S.) to enact legislation and other states in the union have followed suit. Literature Review There are numerous articles regarding Death with Dignity and Physician-Assisted Suicide. Friend (2011) investigates the history of physician-assisted suicide, the Hemlock Society, and the ethical considerations to physician-assisted suicide. A wealth of information was made available from the www.oregon.gov defending the state’s decision of enacting and the subsequent legal defense of the Death with Dignity legislation. Finally, van Gennip, Roeline, Pasman, Kaspers, Oosterveld-Vlug, Willems, Deeg Onwuteaka-Philipsen, (2013) performed a survey study in Amsterdam, a country with a markedly different attitude toward Death with Dignity than that of Americans. The History of Death with Dignity Prior to the fifteenth century, early civilizations upheld the right of citizens to kill themselves rather than endlessly suffer. According to Friend (2011, p. 110), upon request, physicians often provided poison to their patients. Doctors of the Hippocratic School oft challenged the practice and acceptance of euthanasia, butShow MoreRelated The Death With Dignity Act and Physician Assisted Suicide Essay1312 Words   |  6 PagesThe Death With Dignity Act and Physician Assisted Suicide Introduction According to the American Medical Association (1996), physician-assisted suicide (PAS) occurs when a physician facilitates a patient’s death by providing either the means or the information necessary to aid in the patient performing the life-ending act. PAS has had a long and controversial history dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. They believed that there was no reason to prolong life if continued pain and sufferingRead MoreThe Debate Of Assisted Suicide1747 Words   |  7 Pages The topic of assisted suicide is very controversial and is heavily debated upon all around the world. While physician assisted suicide is only legal in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and a few states in the U.S., it is illegally practiced widely by physicians and nurses, such as Dr. Jack Kevorkian. I first heard of physician assisted suicide when the death of Dr. Kevorkian, an assisted suicide advocate and a suicide aid, was on the news in 2011. Kevorkian assisted in the suicide of many p atientsRead MoreEssay about Euthanasia Allows Death with Dignity1347 Words   |  6 Pagesending illnesses and insufferable pain? Physician-assisted suicide should be legalized because people should have the right to end their lives when they choose to and contrary to popular belief, physician-assisted suicide will not leave the presumably vulnerable helpless. Many fear the legalization of physician-assisted suicide will lead to out of control doctors who take it upon themselves to decide who lives, who dies, and when. Physician-assisted suicide has been practiced in the NetherlandsRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide : A Controversial Subject1692 Words   |  7 PagesPhysician-assisted suicide is a controversial subject all around the world. Although it is legal in some countries and states, such as the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Oregon, Montana, Washington, and Vermont it is not yet legal in most (Finlay, 2011). People travel from all around the world to these locations to receive information. Physician-assisted suicide is when terminally ill and mentally capable patients perform the final act themselves after being provided with the required meansRead MoreThe Fight Over Assisted Suicide1746 Words   |  7 Pagesthirty years the fight over assisted suicide has earned a spot in the national spotlight, for both positive an d negative reasons depending on your stance on the issue. There have been challenges made based off the constitution, the right to privacy and moral reasons for both sides. While there have been many notable persons of interest during this time some have helped the cause as others have hindered progress. There have been attempts to challenge physician assisted suicide based off the FourteenthRead MoreThe Suicide Of A Patient Essay970 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The suicide of a patient suffering from an incurable disease, effected by the taking of lethal drugs provided by a doctor for this purpose,† is the dictionary definition of assisted suicide, or assisted death. Much debate has taken place over whether or not this should be a right of the terminally ill, and whether a doctor can grant that wish. Although modern medicine has brought a multitude of benefits to humanity, it cannot relieve the pain and suffering associated with the dying process. Read MoreThe Legalization Of Assisted Suicide1650 Words   |  7 PagesWhile suicide itself is no longer considered a crime within the United States, physician-assisted suicide remains illegal. This practice, despite being closely related, varies from euthanasia. These two practices are distinguished by who administers the lethal dose that kills the patient; euthanasia is administered by a doctor whereas assisted suicide is the patient’s voluntary consumption of a fatal medication that was prescribed by a doctor. Despite the variation, both practices are currently consideredRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide : Controversial Healthcare And Political Realms Alike1218 Words   |  5 Pages Physician-Assisted Suicide Elissa Munoz-Tucker University of Arizona Abstract Physician-assisted suicide is controversial in healthcare and political realms alike. Currently, this end-of-life option is practiced in five states within the United States. Social concerns regarding assisted suicide revolve around ethical quandaries; providing the means to a patient’s death is contradictory to ethical principles of healthcare providers. Political concerns surroundingRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide Should Be Legalized For Mentally Competent Adults1340 Words   |  6 PagesErin Presnell Professor Branson English 112 2 May 2015 Physician Assisted Suicide Assisted suicide is a controversial and often misunderstood topic that has recently raised the attention of the nation. Assisted suicide or physician assisted suicide (PAS) is not only an emotionally trying matter but also ethically challenging to some. Those who are against this act believe that it is unethical to end a life before the intended time. Those in favor believe that it is a human right for patients thatRead MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide1629 Words   |  7 Pagessociety often contemplates what death will be like. Will death be peaceful or painful? How will our death affect the ones we love? It would seem that most people would desire to die with dignity. Having the choice to die peacefully is a valuable option that every human should be able to make for themselves. For those with terminal illnesses or major health problems, assisted suicide creates options to reduce the amount of suffering the patient must enduring. Dying with dignity could be beneficial for not