...preserve life of all patients resulting in an improved quality of life. However, ethical and legal concerns arise during a patient’s end of life. The decisions that are made by patients during their end of life can contradict the oath and pledges the physicians and nurses take. In California, the End of Life Option Act (EOLOA) went into effect on June 2016 which allows patients, diagnosed with a terminal illness, to request for death inducing medication from their physician (California Department of Public Health,...
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...SB-128 End of life option act According to Los Angeles Times reported that a 29-year-old woman named Brittany Maynard plans to end her own life. Diagnosed with stage four brain cancer, doctors told her that she would die quite possibly with a great deal of pain and loss of body and cognitive function within six months. After careful thought and discussion with her family, Maynard along with her husband, mother and stepfather moved from California to Oregon, where it is legal for terminally ill people of sound mind to seek aid in dying. It was not just a matter of crossing state lines. She had to change her driver's license and voter registration. She had to find new doctors and a new home. Her husband had to take a leave from his job and...
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...Dignity Act Professional Policy Analyst from the Normative Policy Analyses Approach Retrospective Healthcare Policy Analysis: Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act was the legislated response to a highly controversial health policy debate regarding patients’ rights – specifically whether or not a patient has the right to die if they choose to do so (Altmann & Collins, 2007). While euthanasia and physician assisted suicide are not new topics, they did receive an increase in public and media attention during the early 1990s. Most notably Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who defied the law and assisted in 130 patient suicides, Dr. Kevorkian’s actions brought about increased media coverage on the topic of physician assisted suicide, which is a contributing factor as to why the Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act was conceived in the first place (Werth JR & Wineberg, 2005). On the one side of the spectrum were advocates of physician assisted suicide who maintained that it was an infringement on patients’ rights to deny them aid in dying, and inhumane to make people suffer when diagnosed with a terminal illness (Merino, 2012). On the other side were critics who concluded that physician assisted suicide was a breach of medical ethics, and morally unacceptable because it devalued human life. Furthermore, these critics found that assisted suicide was not valid because there were alternative solutions, such as improving physician training on pain management, and end of...
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...should be granted when life has come to its last chapter and all that is sought is a peaceful passing. The decision between a physician and terminally ill patient to hasten their death should be accepted and granted. A terminal illness can be described as an incurable disease which will end the life of the sufferer. If death is inevitable, why must we wait for natural causes to occur? Physician-assisted deaths should be legalized in all states so that the terminally ill can request a final act of dignity. “Physician-assisted death is defined as the physician providing the means for death, most often with a prescription. The patient not the physician will ultimately administer the lethal medication” (Braddock & Tonelli, 1998). If a patient can come to a decision when it is time to stop treatment for their terminal illness, they should also be allowed to choose when to bring death. End of life care has become an equally important issue to physicians as well as the patients. If physician-assisted deaths were permitted in all 50 states, physicians could openly discuss end of life wishes with their patients. With all the advances in modern medicine, people are living much longer which allows for a higher risk in developing a terminal illness. A few examples of terminal illnesses are cancer, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, renal failure, and heart failure. With increasing numbers in terminal illnesses more options for end of life decisions need to be available...
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...Ethical Theories Applied to Euthanasia It is a patient’s right to make the decision to end their life when they are facing a terminal illness, especially after all attempts to provide pain management have failed. However, these patients are left with few options due to the legal, moral, or religious complications of voluntary euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide (PAS). But, if terminally ill patients had these options available, they would be given the respect to die with the dignity they are entitled to at the end of their life. By applying the utilitarian theory to this question, we would first have to ask, are we providing the greatest amount of happiness or more pain? From a utilitarian point of view, if allowing someone to die with dignity will promote more happiness for them, and those who will be affected by this act, then it is morally ethical. By applying virtue ethics, we would have to ask, whether it is more charitable to continue with pain management until their death, or to relieve their unnecessary pain and suffering by voluntary euthanasia or PAS. Regardless of the moral theories applied, legalizing voluntary euthanasia or PAS, will grant more options, to include reducing the amount of suffering experienced, eliminate the patient’s use of other means to end his or her life, and allow for families to prepare for their loved one’s passing, all of which keeps the patient’s dignity intact. Utilitarianism looks at the best action producing the best consequences...
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...Physician-Assisted Suicide Suffering has always been a part of human existence. Request to end suffering by means of death through both physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia have occurred since the beginning of medicine. By definition, assisted suicide is a type of active euthanasia in which a physician facilitates a patient’s death by providing the necessary means of death to enable the patient to perform the life-ending act. Usually by prescribing a lethal dose of drugs but the patient is responsible for performing the final act (Codes of Ethics). Even though physician- assisted suicide is illegal, many people and doctors believe that it should be legal to help terminally ill people at the end of their life while others believe it is against their beliefs and religion to commit any type of suicide. This paper is going to show why doctor assisted suicide should be legalized because at the end of their lives, most people do not want to suffer. Only a terminal ill patient is really aware of what it is like to experience intractable suffering; even with pain relievers. Those who have not experiences it cannot fully appreciate what effect it has on quality of life. Apart from physical pain, overcoming the emotional pain of losing independence is an additional factor that only the patient comprehends fully. In medicine prolongation of living may sometimes turn into prolongation of dying. Why should be a patient be forced experience a slow death? Many families don’t want to see...
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...of Canada to challenge its laws against assisted death (Beaudoin, 2006). Rodriguez suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease (Fine, 2015). She no longer felt that her life was endurable and desired for a qualified physician to end her life through technological means, at her liberty (Beaudoin, 2006). Her case argued that subsection 241 (b) of the Criminal Code, prohibiting assisted suicide, was constitutionally invalid in her case (Bauslaugh, 2013). In the end, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled 5-4 and stated that Rodriguez's submission did not violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom (Dovery, 2015). The majority of the judges believed that even though Rodriguez was in terrible pain, the idea of assisted suicide, morally and legally, may lead to abuse (Fine, 2015). The minority of judges argued that a physically able person can commit suicide, a non-criminal act, whereas a physically disabled person seeks assistance to commit the same act, yet it is a criminal act (Fine, 6). The case ignited much debate across Canada as the fact that, physically disabled people are discriminated to the fact that they do not have the ability to end their life. If assisted suicide were legal, patients who deeply desire to end their life would be acknowledged within the charter and follow the rules and regulations of the jurisdiction of Canada. In all,...
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...any kind is generally a last resort for very desperate people who are suffering. Any patient with a painful terminal illness should be able to have the option to end their suffering prematurely instead of living out their days in agony and despair. Pancreatic cancer is one such disease; patients experience intense pain in their upper abdomen and their back and there is currently no cure for this disease. The pain that is encountered is excruciating and can be eased with medication, but generally only for a little while and severe pain is still felt. Trigeminal neuralgia is an example of another such condition, it is a neuropathic disorder characterized by episodes of intense pain in the face stemming from the trigeminal nerve. There is no cure and triggers as slight as the wind or a high pitched sound can stimulate an episode, it is also described as among the most painful diseases known to mankind. There are many other illnesses similar to these that no one should have to tolerate, especially if there are safer and relatively easier ways for someone to end their agony. Forcing someone to spend their life miserably and in constant pain is not something that can be justified. Every doctor must take an oath to do no harm, but assisted suicide, in the appropriate circumstances, is not doing harm. The omission of delivering an act of mercy may be, in fact, doing more harm to these disadvantaged patients in the long run. Physicians have an obligation to their patients, and asking...
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...Running head: AMERICA’S AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE CHOICES OF 2009 1 America’s Affordable Health Care Choices of 2009: Advanced Care Directives Denise Renna Ball State University Abstract This paper explores Section 1233 of Health Related (H.R.) Bill 3200, America’s Affordable Health Care Choices of 2009, introduced to the House of Representatives. Under this section of the bill, the Qualified Health Benefit Package (QHBP) would be required to explain end-of-life planning to individuals who seek this information. Currently physicians are not reimbursed for providing end-of-life planning for individuals on Medicare. Some larger groups such as the American Medical Association (AMA) are in favor of passing the bill. This paper examines groups in favor of the bill as presenting opposition from other groups regarding this piece of legislation. America’s Affordable Health Care Choices of 2009: Advanced Care Directives Health Related Bill The House of Representatives introduced H.R. bill 3200: America’s Affordable Health Care Choices of 2009 on July 14, 2009, as a means “to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes” (H.R. 3200-111th Congress, 2009). HR 3200 is an active bill that was referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Oversight and Government Reform, and Budget,...
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...sedation, or promise of effective palliative care can give Maynard the thing she treasures now.. the hope of gaining control over her disease before it takes her life." These were words by Barbara Coombs Lee, President of Compassion and Choices, referring to Brittany Maynard's assisted suicide. The assisted suicide has helped many, ones who feel that they can no longer continue lead with the unbearable pain of an incurable disease. However, there are people that are against this because "no one has the right to take their life." The "Right to Die" helps in many ways; having the option to not extend life by artificial or heroic means, allows people to die with dignity, and ends physical suffering due to an incurable...
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...Euthanasia could be socially acceptable for patients with chronic illnesses because it is an escape from pain felt from the illness, a decision made between the patient and family members, and the moral consideration of the physician to help end the life of a loved one. The decision by the patient to end their life to relieve their chronic pain and suffering from their illness should be based on knowledge and not emotions. Patients with cancer suffer pain from chemotherapy and radiation. The patient could become ill and unable to function in their everyday life. Choosing to end their life could be a choice made by the patient because of the pain and sickness that they are feeling. The patient should research their options before making...
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...truth telling, euthanasia is an old problem given new scope by the ability of modern medical technology to prolong life. Euthanasia is the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. There are four types of euthanasia listed by Levine: active euthanasia, passive euthanasia, voluntary euthanasia, and non-voluntary euthanasia. The controversy is not life ending, but when death is inescapable, how far should one go in accelerating it? On October 27, 1997 Oregon enacted the Death with Dignity Act which allows terminally-ill Oregonians to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications, expressly prescribed by a physician for that purpose (Oregon 2012). The Act requires the Oregon Department of Human Services to collect information about the patients and physicians who participate in the Act, and publish an annual statistical report. Many objections that arise on this topic is the act allowing patients to commit suicide? The Eighth Annual Report on Oregon's Death with Dignity Act states under the Act, ending one's life in accordance with the law does not constitute suicide (ProCon 2012). The Death with Dignity Act legalizes physician-assisted suicide (PAS), but specifically prohibits euthanasia, where a physician or other person directly administers a medication to end another's life. In 1997 Oregon became the first state to permit physician-assisted suicide. On November 5, 2008 the state of Washington...
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...are all in the process of dying from the day we are born. The prevalence of catastrophic diseases that once killed swiftly such as pneumonia, cholera, and massive heart attacks, have been replaced by chronic and, often, degenerative diseases such as advanced cancers, diabetes, lung disease, and Alzheimer’s, leading to a slow death for most (Gardner, 2012). This places a great financial burden on the Medicare system as well as patient’s families. Atul Gawande (2010) reports that twenty five percent of all Medicare spending is for the five percent of patients who are in their final year of life, and most of that money goes for care in their last couple of months, which is of little apparent benefit (p. 3). Even more concerning is the suffering that many patients are forced to endure due to the lack of other options. Patients must have the right to make autonomous decisions regarding the end of their lives. They need to be confident that those decisions will be upheld, even if they conflict with the wishes of their families or physicians. However, patient confidence in knowing that their final wishes will be met is complicated by a lack of education and empowerment for those who face these difficult decisions (Frank & Anselmi, 2011). The purpose of this essay is to discuss the benefits to patient autonomy and the Medicare budget, by the legalization of physician-assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia. Legalizing Euthanasia: A Practical Approach Imagine that your beloved...
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...are the development in health care, and where can this lead? What is physician assisted suicide? Physician assisted suicide, also known as PAS, is when a physician provides the necessary means or information to a patient to kill himself/herself. However, the patient is the one who actually performs the act. People often get physician assisted suicide confused with euthanasia. Euthanasia is when the physician does both actions for the patient; the physician provides the means and performs the means. After people realize what physician assisted...
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...euthanasia and assisted suicide……………………………….3 States considering bills to legalize physician-assisted suicide………….3-4 Death with Dignity Acts………………………………………………......4-5 Oppose Physician Assisted Suicide………………………………………5-6 Supporters…………………………………………………………………6-7 Reference…………………………………………………………………..7-8 Introduction For decades, the public, government, and physicians have been debating over the “Death with Dignity Act” or “Physician-Assisted Suicide.” It started back in the Ancient Greek and Rome time. The debate originated around the Hippocratic Oath and the condemnation of the practice. With the upsurge of Christianity, many physicians continued to condemn the practice. Within the last two centuries the public has spurned many discussions about Physician-assisted suicide and Euthanasia from many different historic perspectives (Procon.org, 2012). Although this debate has been lengthy and many of the issues discussed over the centuries are repetitive, new ideas and concerns do emerge with the current debate. What do you think when you here assisted suicide? Would you want your family member to suffer with an illness that has put them in so much pain that they cannot function? Personally, I would not want to see my family member suffer in pain while they are dying with no cure. About Euthanasia and Assisted suicide Euthanasia is an act or omission intended to cause the death of a person in order to eliminate suffering, allegedly for his/her benefit. Euthanasia can be voluntary...
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