Hastened death: Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in ALS

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Russell ◽  
Zachary Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Medical Decisions ◽  
Physician Participation ◽  
Hastened Death ◽  
End Of Life Decision ◽  
Als Patients ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more than any other disease, promotes patient interest in hastened death. From an ethical perspective, end-of-life decision making should pivot on patient-centric considerations. However, medical decisions made by patients and their physicians are embedded in societal mores and the law. Opinions regarding the morality of physician participation in hastened-death and its incorporation into public policy remain sharply divided. This chapter attempts to provide a contemporary and measured review of the differing perspectives and the current status of physician participation in hastened-death. The focus will be on issues particularly relevant to ALS patients and those of us who care for them. Our primary goal is to provide for ALS clinicians a foundation upon which their individual consciences may determine whether their lawful participation in hastened-death can ever be considered an ethically permissible action or a socially acceptable policy.

The Euthanasia Debate: Attitudes, Practices and Psychiatric Considerations

1995 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 593-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harvey Max Chochinov ◽  
Keith G Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Physician Attitudes ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Hastened Death ◽  
Desire For Death

Objective To review the current status of the euthanasia debate by examining public and physician attitudes towards euthanasia, the practice of euthanasia in the Netherlands, recent developments in Canada and other countries, psychosocial considerations related to the desire for death in terminally inpatients, and the roles that psychiatrists may be asked to play in the event of legislative reform involving decriminalization. Methods A literature review was conducted focusing on recent surveys regarding physician and patient attitudes towards euthanasia, the role of psychiatrists and empirical data pertaining to the mental state of patients who request physician-hastened death. Results Psychiatric morbidity among patients requesting physician-hastened death is considerable. Conclusion As a special case of suicide, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are of particular relevance to mental health professionals.

Dignity and the Case in Favor of Assisted Suicide

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf Stoecker
Keyword(s):  
Human Dignity ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Commit Suicide

Advocates of legalization of physician-assisted suicide usually argue that it is as matter of respect for human dignity that people get help in ending their lives (1) because the prohibition interferes with a fundamental liberty to conduct life according to one’s own preferences and (2) because sometimes suicide is an appropriate measure to avoid living an undignified life. In this chapter, it is argued that although the first argument is strong, the second argument is misguided. Hence, from an ethical perspective, society should not legally prohibit physician-assisted suicide. Yet, the person him- or herself should not commit suicide either. In particularly, the person should not regard such a suicide as a demand of his or her dignity.

Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide among Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in the Netherlands

2002 ◽  
Vol 346 (21) ◽  
pp. 1638-1644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan H. Veldink ◽  
John H.J. Wokke ◽  
Gerrit van der Wal ◽  
J.M.B. Vianney de Jong ◽  
Leonard H. van den Berg
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Gender and Physician-Assisted Suicide: An Analysis of the Kevorkian Cases, 1990–1997

2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Sara Canetto ◽  
Janet D. Hollenshead
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
The United States ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Medical Examiner ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
Jack Kevorkian ◽  
Hastened Death ◽  
Real Phenomenon ◽  
National Trends

This study examines the seventy-five suicide cases Dr. Jack Kevorkian acknowledged assisting during the period between 1990 and 1997. Although these cases represent a range of regional and occupational backgrounds, a significant majority are women. Most of these individuals had a disabling, chronic, nonterminal-stage illness. In five female cases, the medical examiner found no evidence of disease whatsoever. About half of the women were between the ages of forty-one and sixty, and another third were older adults. In contrast, men were almost as likely to be middle-aged as to be older adults. Men's conditions were somewhat less likely than women's to be chronic and nonterminal-stage. The main reasons for the hastened death mentioned by both the person and their significant others were having disabilities, being in pain, and fear of being a burden. The predominance of women among Kevorkian's assisted suicides contrasts with national trends in suicide mortality, where men are a clear majority. It is possible that individuals whose death was hastened by Kevorkian are not representative of physician-assisted suicide cases around the country, because of Kevorkian's unique approach. Alternatively, the preponderance of women among Kevorkian's assisted suicides may represent a real phenomenon. One possibility is that, in the United States, assisted suicide is particularly acceptable for women. Individual, interpersonal, social, economic, and cultural factors encouraging assisted suicide in women are examined.

Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in cases of terminal cancer: the opinions of physicians and nurses in Greece

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efi Parpa ◽  
Kyriaki Mystakidou ◽  
Eleni Tsilika ◽  
Pavlos Sakkas ◽  
Elisabeth Patiraki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patient ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Terminally Ill ◽  
Respiratory Arrest ◽  
Terminal Cancer ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients ◽  
Terminally Ill Cancer Patients ◽  
Hastened Death

The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of physicians and nurses on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in advanced cancer patients in Greece. Two hundred and fifteen physicians and 250 nurses from various hospitals in Greece completed a questionnaire concerning issues on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. More physicians (43.3%) than nurses (3.2%, p<0.0005) reported that in the case of a cardiac or respiratory arrest, they would not attempt to revive a terminally ill cancer patient. Only 1.9% of physicians and 3.6% of nurses agreed on physician-assisted suicide. Forty-seven per cent of physicians and 45.2% of nurses would prefer the legalization of a terminally ill patient's hastened death; in the case of such a request, 64.2% of physicians and 55.2% of nurses (p=0.06) would consider it if it was legal. The majority of the participants tended to disagree with euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide in terminally ill cancer patients, probably due to the fact that these acts in Greece are illegal.

scholarly journals Are the Distinctions Drawn in the Debate about End-of-Life Decision Making “Principled”? If Not, How Much Does it Matter?

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yale Kamisar
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Good Death ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
Death With Dignity ◽  
Assisted Death ◽  
Dying Patients ◽  
Aid In Dying ◽  
End Of Life Decision ◽  
Life Decision

I sometimes wonder whether some proponents of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) or physician-assisted death (PAD) think they own the copyright to such catchy phrases as “death with dignity” and “a good death” so that if you are against PAS or PAD, then you must be against a dignified death or a good death. If one removes the quotation marks around phrases like “aid-in-dying” or “compassionate care for the dying,” I am not opposed to such end-of-life care either. Indeed, how could anybody be against this type of care?I do not want to abandon dying patients anymore than Dr. Timothy Quill does. Although, unfortunately, it will not always be easy to achieve the desired result, I agree with him that it ought to be a goal of medicine “to help people die well, to help them receive a good death” — or at least “the best possible” death under the circumstances. I part company with Professor Quill, however, when he urges us to change the law in the majority of our states so that in some circumstances patients may achieve a “good death” or a “dignified” one by means of lethal drugs.

scholarly journals Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a prospective study

2014 ◽  
Vol 261 (10) ◽  
pp. 1894-1901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maud Maessen ◽  
Jan H. Veldink ◽  
Bregje D. Onwuteaka-Philipsen ◽  
Henk T. Hendricks ◽  
Helenius J. Schelhaas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Prospective Study ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
A Prospective Study ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document