Physician Assisted Suicide Research Paper
Rebecca J Jones
ENG 105
April 16 2012
Legalization of Physician Assisted Suicide A hotly debated issue regarding the quality of life for terminally ill patients revolves around the morality and legal implications of euthanasia, or physician assisted suicide which is defined as the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease, or in an irreversible coma. There are already a multitude of laws in place regulating physician assisted suicide in some states and countries, as well as laws preventing the practice. But despite these preventative laws physician assisted suicide remains an underground practice to relieve patient suffering. In lieu of the supposed moral issues associated with physician assisted suicide, …show more content…
If physician assisted suicide was to be legalized then it is possible a patient may feel pressured by the law to consent, and family members feeling burdened by needy loved one may pressure them to secure an inheritance (Robinson, Scott 40). Because the terminal patients are in such a vulnerable position, their motives are often misdiagnosed, or they are never actually evaluated by a medical professional (Robinson, Scott 40). These vulnerable groups need to be protected because “life-threatening illness can cause considerable spiritual and existential anxiety, hopelessness and despair” (Robinson, Scott 42). Fear, sadness, anger and grief can all lead to clinical depression and feelings of hopelessness, leading to the patient wanting to genuinely die. However, these expressions are often a patients way of reaching out to their physician and caretakers that they are suffering “(psychosocially, existentially, spiritually and/or physically) and asking for help in relieving distress” (Robinson, Scott 43). In the legalization of physician assisted suicide, because there is no uniform way of assessing mental capacity in patients, someone who could have been cured of their depression with the appropriate care may end up ending their life. Depression is often undiagnosed in terminal patients and “the …show more content…
98). Palliative care would use a team approach, to help the patient and family cope during the patient’s illness and provide grief counseling if necessary (Masterstvedt et al. 98). Palliative care should also enhance the quality of life to the patient, and potentially improve the course of the illness. If the palliative care is applied appropriately early in the course of the illness and used with other therapies, it should be used with the intention of prolonging life (Masterstvedt et al. 98). So instead of the pressure of a law, and potential influences of family members eeking an inheritance, the World Health Organization defines a new strategy that would instead work to improve quality of life, instead of ending a poor quality of
ENG 105
April 16 2012
Legalization of Physician Assisted Suicide A hotly debated issue regarding the quality of life for terminally ill patients revolves around the morality and legal implications of euthanasia, or physician assisted suicide which is defined as the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease, or in an irreversible coma. There are already a multitude of laws in place regulating physician assisted suicide in some states and countries, as well as laws preventing the practice. But despite these preventative laws physician assisted suicide remains an underground practice to relieve patient suffering. In lieu of the supposed moral issues associated with physician assisted suicide, …show more content…
If physician assisted suicide was to be legalized then it is possible a patient may feel pressured by the law to consent, and family members feeling burdened by needy loved one may pressure them to secure an inheritance (Robinson, Scott 40). Because the terminal patients are in such a vulnerable position, their motives are often misdiagnosed, or they are never actually evaluated by a medical professional (Robinson, Scott 40). These vulnerable groups need to be protected because “life-threatening illness can cause considerable spiritual and existential anxiety, hopelessness and despair” (Robinson, Scott 42). Fear, sadness, anger and grief can all lead to clinical depression and feelings of hopelessness, leading to the patient wanting to genuinely die. However, these expressions are often a patients way of reaching out to their physician and caretakers that they are suffering “(psychosocially, existentially, spiritually and/or physically) and asking for help in relieving distress” (Robinson, Scott 43). In the legalization of physician assisted suicide, because there is no uniform way of assessing mental capacity in patients, someone who could have been cured of their depression with the appropriate care may end up ending their life. Depression is often undiagnosed in terminal patients and “the …show more content…
98). Palliative care would use a team approach, to help the patient and family cope during the patient’s illness and provide grief counseling if necessary (Masterstvedt et al. 98). Palliative care should also enhance the quality of life to the patient, and potentially improve the course of the illness. If the palliative care is applied appropriately early in the course of the illness and used with other therapies, it should be used with the intention of prolonging life (Masterstvedt et al. 98). So instead of the pressure of a law, and potential influences of family members eeking an inheritance, the World Health Organization defines a new strategy that would instead work to improve quality of life, instead of ending a poor quality of