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By: Dianna Termin

Physician-Assisted Suicide. By: Dianna Termin. What is Physician-Assisted Suicide?. Occurs when a physician provides the means, medical advice, and assurance that death results. The person, not the physician performs the act that causes death. Is it Euthanasia?.

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By: Dianna Termin

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  1. Physician-Assisted Suicide By: Dianna Termin

  2. What is Physician-Assisted Suicide? • Occurs when a physician provides the means, medical advice, and assurance that death results. • The person, not the physician performs the act that causes death.

  3. Is it Euthanasia? No, euthanasia doesn't give the patient the choice of dying. They physician or surrogate directs the treatment. Example: bringing death by increasing painkiller beyond what is needed to kill the pain (illegal in almost most states)

  4. There is more than 1 type There are four types: Voluntary active Voluntary passive Involuntary active Involuntary passive

  5. Physician-Assisted Suicide • Often called “aid in dying” • Similar to voluntary, active euthanasia • Mental aspect of patient must be ensured • If they are not mentally stable they will not receive physician-assisted suicide

  6. Janet Adkins • Assisted in her suicide in 1990 by Jack Kevorkian. • Questioned if Adkins was competent because of Alzheimer's disease.

  7. Jack Kevorkian • Known as “Dr Death” • Kevorkian created a device that enabled people wishing to commit suicide to administer chemicals to themselves after assistance form a physician • a retired Michigan pathologist • Assisted in more than 100 suicides.

  8. Jack Kevorkian • 1999 convicted in second-degree murder in criminal trial in Michigan where assisted suicide is illegal. • Criticized because he “didn’t know his patients” because he was unqualified to diagnose or understand illness because he was a pathologist. • Also conflict of interest because of publicity of “death machine”

  9. In states that its illegal • “comfort always” • Sometimes administering too much morpheme never raised an unethical issue. • Laws didn’t consider a patients wishes and reflected the laws against homicide and laws making it illegal to assist in committing suicide.

  10. Death with Dignity Act • Est in Oregon 1994 (52% to 48%) • Permits physicians to prescribe, but not administer fatal doses of oral drugs to competent adults with less than 6 months to live. • Must have • oral or written request from patient and consultations with other physician. • 15-day waiting period • Notification by physician of pharmacists and state health authorities

  11. Death with Dignity Act • First suicide under Oregon law March 1998 • Medicaid added physician-assisted suicide to end-of life comfort care services • No movement or trend of similar laws since Oregon

  12. Who • Statues in 38 states criminalize assisted suicide. • Common law in 6 states criminalize assisted suicide. • In 5 states assisted Suicide is unclear.

  13. What does the U.S. Supreme Court Say? • 1997 it unanimously ruled that states may ban physician-assisted suicide without violating either the due process or equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution • They did no decide whether states could pass laws such as Oregon giving people the choice.

  14. Netherlands • Supported Euthanasia by 92% of population • First country to legalize practice in 1999 • It must be Voluntary • The patients must be competent and terminal • Reported • 2% of death caused by euthanasia • Proof of no consent from majority of patients U.S. • 31% of physicians couldn’t do this on moral grounds. • Those who guard life now turn to dying as means of medicine. • Majority of physicians in Michigan and Oregon favored legalizing assisted suicide. • 6% of physicians who regularly care for dying have prescribed injections so patients could kill themselves (when it was legal). • By 1999 30 people have been assisted in their suicides in Oregon.

  15. References • Longest, Beaufort, Jonathon S. Rakich and Kurt Darr. Managing Health Services Organizations and Systems. Baltimore: Health Professions Press, 2005. • Department of Human Services Record: Death With Dignity Act. Oregon.gov March 2006. 21 November 2007 <http://egov.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/> • UB Center for Clinical Ethics and Humanities in Health Care: U.S. Supreme Court Rules on Physician Assisted Suicide Cases. UB Center April 2000. 21 November 2007 <http://wings.buffalo.edu/faculty/research/bioethics/court.html>

  16. QUESTIONS? Comments?

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