scholarly journals Legalizing physician-assisted suicide and/or euthanasia: Pragmatic implications

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1399-1409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Hudson ◽  
Rosalie Hudson ◽  
Jennifer Philip ◽  
Mark Boughey ◽  
Brian Kelly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Research Community ◽  
Legal Issues ◽  
Care Provision ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
Training Research ◽  
Ethical And Legal Issues ◽  
Practical Implications

AbstractObjective:Despite the availability of palliative care in many countries, legalization of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (EAS) continues to be debated—particularly around ethical and legal issues—and the surrounding controversy shows no signs of abating. Responding to EAS requests is considered one of the most difficult healthcare responsibilities. In the present paper, we highlight some of the less frequently discussed practical implications for palliative care provision if EAS were to be legalized. Our aim was not to take an explicit anti-EAS stance or expand on findings from systematic reviews or philosophical and ethico-legal treatises, but rather to offer clinical perspectives and the potential pragmatic implications of legalized EAS for palliative care provision, patients and families, healthcare professionals, and the broader community.Method:We provide insights from our multidisciplinary clinical experience, coupled with those from various jurisdictions where EAS is, or has been, legalized.Results:We believe that these issues, many of which are encountered at the bedside, must be considered in detail so that the pragmatic implications of EAS can be comprehensively considered.Significance of Results:Increased resources and effort must be directed toward training, research, community engagement, and ensuring adequate resourcing for palliative care before further consideration is given to allocating resources for legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.

scholarly journals Ethical considerations at the end-of-life care

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 205031212110009
Author(s):  
Melahat Akdeniz ◽  
Bülent Yardımcı ◽  
Ethem Kavukcu
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Biomedical Ethics ◽  
Artificial Nutrition ◽  
Life Care ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide

The goal of end-of-life care for dying patients is to prevent or relieve suffering as much as possible while respecting the patients’ desires. However, physicians face many ethical challenges in end-of-life care. Since the decisions to be made may concern patients’ family members and society as well as the patients, it is important to protect the rights, dignity, and vigor of all parties involved in the clinical ethical decision-making process. Understanding the principles underlying biomedical ethics is important for physicians to solve the problems they face in end-of-life care. The main situations that create ethical difficulties for healthcare professionals are the decisions regarding resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, artificial nutrition and hydration, terminal sedation, withholding and withdrawing treatments, euthanasia, and physician-assisted suicide. Five ethical principles guide healthcare professionals in the management of these situations.

Terminal Sedation: Palliative Care for Intractable Pain, Post Glucksberg and Quill

2003 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-76
Author(s):  
Rob McStay
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Supreme Court ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Intractable Pain ◽  
Terminal Sedation ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
The Right ◽  
Artificial Life Support ◽  
Unconscious State

In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court tacitly endorsed terminal sedation as an alternative to physician-assisted suicide, thus intensifying a debate in the legal and medical communities as to the propriety of terminal sedation and setting the stage for a new battleground in the “right to die” controversy. Terminal sedation is the induction of an unconscious state to relieve otherwise intractable distress, and is frequently accompanied by the withdrawal of any life-sustaining intervention, such as hydration and nutrition. This practice is a clinical option of “last resort” when less aggressive palliative care measures have failed. Terminal sedation has also been described as “the compromise in the furor over physician-assisted suicide.”Medical literature suggests that terminal sedation was a palliative care option long before the Supreme Court considered the constitutional implications of physician-assisted suicide. Terminal sedation has been used for three related but distinct purposes: (1) to relieve physical pain; (2) to produce an unconscious state before the withdrawal of artificial life support; and (3) to relieve non-physical suffering.

Proper palliative care should reduce requests for euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide

Pain Forum ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-196
Author(s):  
Charles B. Berde ◽  
Robert D. Truog ◽  
John J. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide

Baby O and the Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Medical Treatment in the Devastated Neonate: A Review of Clinical, Ethical, and Legal Issues

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 925-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Sacco ◽  
Rebecca Virata
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Clinical Research ◽  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Clinical Guidelines ◽  
Legal Issues ◽  
Artificial Nutrition ◽  
Artificial Nutrition And Hydration ◽  
Nutrition And Hydration ◽  
Ethical And Legal Issues

The discontinuation of life sustaining medical treatment (LSMT) in severely and permanently impaired neonates, especially artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) is subject to uncertainty and controversy. Definitive clinical guidelines are lacking, clinical research is limited, ethical disagreement is commonplace, and while case and statutory law provide legal underpinning for the practice in defined circumstances, uncertainty in this realm likely influences clinical practice. We use the case of a neurologically devastated neonate to highlight and review these arenas, and show how, using available legal, ethical, and clinical standards and practice, the case of Baby O was resolved, and to underline the need for further research in neonatal palliative care.

scholarly journals ASPEK ETIKA DAN LEGAL EUTHANASIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taufik Suryadi ◽  
Kulsum Kulsum
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Final Decision ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
Definition Of Death ◽  
Definition Of

Abstrak. Isu-isu tentang akhir kehidupan (end of life) selalu menarik untuk dibicarakan. Penentuan akhir kehidupan ini sering menjadi dilema bagi para dokter karena apabila dokter tidak memahami tentang pengambilan keputusan akhir hidup pasien ia akan menghadapi konsekuensi bioetika dan medikolegal. Terdapat beberapa istilah yang berkaitan dengan isu akhir kehidupan yaitu euthanasia, withholding and withdrawal life support, physician assisted suicide, dan  palliative care. Dengan berkembangnya ilmu kedokteran dan teknologi, definisi kematian menjadi sulit ditentukan karena dengan bantuan alat canggih kedokteran kehidupan ‘dapat diperpanjang’. Dari kenyataan inilah maka timbul pertanyaan serius: “Sampai kapan dokter harus mempertahankan kehidupan?. Apakah semua jenis pengobatan dan perawatan yang dapat  memperpanjang hidup manusia itu harus selalu diberikan?”.Dari permasalahan ini dapat didiskusikan tentang euthanasia ditinjau dari sudut bioetika dan medikolegal. Kata kunci: euthanasia, aspek bioetika, aspek medikolegal  Abstract .The issues of end of life are always interesting to discussed. This final determination of life is often a dilemma for doctors because if the doctor does not understand the final decision of the patient's life he will face the consequences of bioethics and medicolegal. There are several terms related to the issues of end of life that is euthanasia, withholding and withdrawal life support, physician assisted suicide, and palliative care. With the development of medical science and technology, the definition of death becomes difficult to determine because with the help of advanced medical devices 'life can be extended'. It is from this fact that a serious question arises: "How long should doctors maintain life? Are all types of cure and care that can extend the life of a human should always be given? "From this issues can be discussed about euthanasia in terms of bioethics and medicolegal. Keywords: euthanasia, bioethics aspect, medicolegal aspect

scholarly journals Palliative care training in undergraduate medical, nursing and allied health: a survey

2019 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2019-002025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola White ◽  
Linda JM Oostendorp ◽  
Ollie Minton ◽  
Sarah Yardley ◽  
Patrick Stone
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Care Provision ◽  
Life Care ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
Impending Death ◽  
Care Training ◽  
Allied Health Professional

ObjectivesImpending death is poorly recognised. Many undergraduate healthcare professionals will not have experience of meeting or caring for someone who is dying. As death can occur in any setting, at any time, it is vital that all healthcare students, regardless of the setting they go on to work in, have end-of-life care (EOLC) training. The aim was to determine current palliative care training at the undergraduate level, in multiple professions, in recognising and communicating dying.MethodsCurrent UK undergraduate courses in medicine, adult nursing, occupational therapy, social work and physiotherapy were included. All courses received an email asking what training is currently offered in the recognition and communication of dying, and what time was dedicated to this.ResultsA total of 73/198 (37%) courses responded to the request for information. 18/20 medical courses provided training in recognising when patients were dying (median 2 hours), and 17/20 provided training in the communication of dying (median 3 hours). 80% (43/54) of nursing and allied health professional courses provided some training in EOLC. Many of the course organisers expressed frustration at the lack of resources, funding and time to include more training. Those courses with more palliative care provision often had a ‘champion’ to advocate for it.ConclusionsTraining in EOLC was inconsistent across courses and professions. Further research is needed to understand how to remove the barriers identified and to improve the consistency of current training.

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