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Dec 20, 2019 · Physician aid in dying goes by many names. Perhaps the best recognized is “physician-assisted suicide.” Alternative terms include but are not limited to: death with dignity, doctor-prescribed death, right to die, and physician-assisted death.
- Lydia S Dugdale, Barron H Lerner, Daniel Callahan
- 2019
- Overview
- The basics
- Where is it legal?
- Who supports it?
- Who’s against it?
- Current controversy in Canada
- The bottom line
Physician-assisted death is when someone with a terminal illness requests a prescription for a lethal dose of medication. People may choose to die on their own terms to feel a sense of control over their situation and put an end to extreme pain.
Physician-assisted death goes by a number of different names, including:
•physician aid in dying
•medical aid in dying
•death with dignity
•assisted medical suicide (but many people believe the practice shouldn’t be considered suicide)
Eligibility criteria for physician-assisted death vary depending on location.
People considering this option in the United States must:
•Have a terminal illness: In this case, “terminal” means you have 6 months or less to live. According to data from Oregon, common diagnoses include cancer, neurological disease, and heart disease.
•Be 18 years or older: Children can’t request medical aid in dying.
•Have the ability to make healthcare decisions: You need to have the ability to make your own healthcare decisions and communicate them. No one else can request medical aid in dying for you.
•Have the ability to consume medication: You must be able to take the medication yourself. No U.S. states allow doctors to administer lethal medication directly. They can only prescribe the medication.
Currently, physician-assisted dying is legal in these countries:
•Australia
•Austria
•Belgium
•Canada
•Colombia
People may support this practice for reasons of:
•Personal autonomy: Supporters believe every person has the right to control their own body, including when that body dies.
•Quality of life: Some people with a terminal illness may consider their life no longer worth living, especially if they experience extreme pain and discomfort. They may prefer a relatively quicker death before their condition gets any worse.
•Harm reduction: Some terminal illnesses cause pain and discomfort that medication can’t do much to ease. Supporters believe no one should have to live in a state they find unbearable.
People may oppose this practice for reasons of:
•Inherent value of life: Opponents believe it’s unethical to die intentionally, no matter the reason.
•Potential coercion: Some people believe a person’s family could pressure them to request aid in dying to prevent further medical expenses. This may especially be the case if they lack access to affordable treatments to manage their health concerns.
•Complications: Due to a lack of reporting, it’s difficult to know how safe the medications are. Some people experience significant nausea and vomit the medication back up. Rarely, some people regain consciousness after taking the medications.
Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) program allows both self-administered and clinician-administered methods of death. Its eligibility criteria are much broader than similar programs in other countries.
As of March 2021, you do not need to have a terminal illness to qualify for MAID. Instead, your medical condition must be “grievous and irremediable.” In other words, it meets all of these criteria:
•It’s a serious illness, disease, or disability.
•It has caused advanced decline that can’t be reversed.
•It causes severe physical or mental suffering that can’t be relieved by any methods you deem acceptable.
Beginning in March 2023, people with mental health conditions will be eligible for MAID if they meet the above criteria.
Physician-assisted death, also called medical aid in dying, is when an adult with a terminal illness takes a prescribed drug to end their life at the time of their choosing.
The practice is legal in certain countries and U.S. states, although eligibility criteria differ by location.
Physician-assisted death is an ethically and philosophically complicated subject. If you’d like to learn more about all sides of this issue, these resources offer a variety of viewpoints:
•American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
•Compassion & Choices
•Death with Dignity
- Emily Swaim
Jan 8, 2024 · Physician-assisted suicide. The American Association of Suicidology (AAS), which aims to prevent suicide through education, research, public awareness, and training, states that...
Jan 2, 2021 · Physician-assisted suicide remains a hotly contested topic despite laws allowing for it in 10 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Arguments for and against assisted suicide include limits on patient autonomy, interpretation of the Hippocratic Oath, insurance coercion, whether current regulations are sufficient or lacking, and how current ...
- Angela Morrow, RN
Sep 19, 2017 · Physician-assisted suicide is neither a therapy nor a solution to difficult questions raised at the end of life. On the basis of substantive ethics, clinical practice, policy, and other concerns, the ACP does not support legalization of physician-assisted suicide.
- Lois Snyder Sulmasy, Paul S. Mueller
- 2017
Physician-assisted suicide. Legality. See also. Explanatory notes. References. Further reading. Assisted suicide. Current status of assisted suicide around the world: Physician-assisted suicide is legal. Legalized by court ruling, but not legislated or regulated. Physician-assisted suicide is illegal. Part of a series on. Homicide. Murder.
Physician-assisted suicide, also known as aid-in-dying or simply “assisted suicide,” is a decision made in collaboration with a medical professional to deliberately end one’s life. Most...
