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Ethics Of Physician Assisted Suicide

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Ethics of Physician Assisted Suicide
Physician - Assisted suicide is defined as, “suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or by information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient 's intent.” ("Physician-Assisted Suicide "). As a Christian, my world view belief is that physician assistant suicide (PAS) is wrong and goes against God’s plan. The Christian world view is not shared by everyone. For example, some countries such as Switzerland and states such as Oregon, Montana, Washington and Vermont have implemented physical assisted suicides (PAS) laws. With other states contemplating this highly controversial subject. Oregon was the first state to implement PAS under the Death …show more content…

According to Robert C. Roberts he states that “the idea of self as something to which its history is merely accidental does not do justice to the concept of a self with which we do daily business.” (Wilkens). We use stories as a part of everyday life to get people to believe our view on a situation. Many people tell stories that get pass down from generation to generation, shaping an individual’s point of view. Depending on what they have heard all their lives; it does not deter them from their initial point of view. Christina’s view was shaped by her father’s …show more content…

One reason is the staggering cost of medical care. Diseases such as cancer can cost insurance companies a significant amount of money. Voluntary euthanasia would alleviate this burden on the insurance system and create a cost savings, as reported in an article on CBS News. “The researchers estimated that by opting for suicide, these people would forgo an average of four weeks of life. Since the medical bills for the last month of life for those who die naturally is $10,118, this would add up to $627 million annually.” (Haney, "Economics of Assisted Suicide"). In chapter six of Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics the chapter is called Utilitarianism which talks about the greatest good for the greatest number. If the price of physician assisted suicide is cheaper than having someone go through chemotherapy. From a Utilitarian stand point, a person in this situation can do a greater justice for the society by saving money and time, and should proceed with assisted

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This poll also found that 56 percent of Americans believe that physician assisted suicide is a morally acceptable act regardless of its legality, and only 37 percent believe it is morally wrong. Additionally, 62 percent of adults agree that a person has a moral right to suicide” (Ralph A Capone). Other states including Oregon, that have passed death-with-dignity laws include Vermont, California, Colorado and Washington. There is a death with dignity bill that is slated to go before the Maine Legislature in support of physician assisted suicide.

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191 Words | 1 Pages

In the Newsweek article, “Physician-Assisted Suicide Is Always Wrong,” by Ryan Anderson, it is stated that the legalization of assisted suicide “would be a grave mistake.” Anderson provides a few examples of why assisted suicide is detrimental. One, he states it leads to an endangerment of the weak and disenfranchised in societies. His outlook is that the purported safeguards of eliminating risk has mainly been nonexistent, which in some countries like the Netherlands who has legalized physician assisted suicide (PSA), has lead to doctors administering lethal injections to patients without request. Two, Anderson, sees assisted suicide as a compromise in the practice of medicine.

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By allowing the option of physician assisted suicide, the state may be softening the idea that there is no hope for someone that ill, and that sends the wrong message to the public. Just as well, the Death With Dignity legislation may compromise the view that people have on doctors as healers (Plaisted 205). Patients may lose trust in them if they condoned, or even participated in physician assisted suicide. Those who are against PAS feel that there should not be a loss of hope for someone suffering from an incurable disease, and are against my argument

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1179 Words | 5 Pages

This is because, with the preparation of death by physician assisted suicide, a doctor can save the healthy vital organs before they are left unviable. Doctors are able to save the lives of many other patients instead of spending time on terminal patients who no longer want to live in their

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Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Right to Murder? Doctors spend over eight years attending college, studying and practicing how humans work and how to save them. So why should it be right for physicians to help out their patients in killing themselves? If a person chooses to end their life, they completely loose the possibility of a medical miracle of being able to live through whatever condition they have.

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After researching both sides of the argument, it is clear that the benefits of physician-assisted suicide outweigh the disadvantages. The benefits of ending a patient’s pain and suffering, minimizing the emotional and financial effects on families, and preserving the right for patients to decide their own fate, supports the legalization of physician-assisted suicide.

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Physician assisted suicide should be allowed in all fifty states. Physician assisted suicide (PAS) is legal in California, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Montana. Since these states have ruled in favor of PAS there has not been an overuse or malpractice of this law. All five states have a very strict set of qualifications which you must meet even before being able to visit with a doctor. These qualifications are: being of 18 years or older, a resident of said state, capable of making life altering decisions on their own, have a terminal illness with 6 or less months left, and physically capable of administering the drug themselves.

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Wesley .J Smith defends “Assisted suicide isn’t ‘choice;’ it is the end of all choices, Doctor prescribed death is not ‘death with dignity’ it is really the euthanasia of hope” The argument Mr. Smith made is that there is no value in life if you die with choice, A breathing body is worth more than euthanasia. As Dr. Merrill Mathews notes “Physician-suicide is an effect to save money so that others can benefit....” (number 7 health care spending implications). John Ruskin follows with “A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money”.

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Physician-assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in today’s society. Physician-assisted suicide is defined as an action performed by the physician at the request of the patient to end the patient’s life with certain medical procedures. The legalization of physician-assisted suicide should not be passed in the United States because it is not morally acceptable in the society, leads to misunderstanding of a physician’s duty and increases mental suffering of both patient’s family and doctor. Physician-assisted suicide should not be legalized since the action itself is not justified morally. It is never morally acceptable for the society to give up on its people’s lives.

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“Legislation that allows people to end their lives automatically creates incentives to seek death as a cost-saving option. The elderly and infirm are seen as burdens and can easily be disposed of. Suicide becomes the easy way out.” (Ben Broussard) Most of the time physicians are against the idea of physician assisted suicide because it goes against their job description and personal beliefs.

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(Pakes, 2005) Physician-assisted suicide should become legal in every state of the U.S. Patients

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Many people think that there are too many problems with physician assisted suicide. Physician assisted suicide is a procedure that allows physicians to prescribe their patients a lethal medication that they can inject themselves with in order to die on their own terms. There are specific requirements that the patients must meet in order to receive this medication. Physician assisted suicide is only for patients that have life threatening illnesses and do not have much time left to live. It is legal in numerous places around the world including certain places in the United States.

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Assisted suicide is a rather controversial issue in contemporary society. When a terminally ill patient formally requests to be euthanized by a board certified physician, an ethical dilemma arises. Can someone ethically end the life of another human being, even if the patient will die in less than six months? Unlike traditional suicide, euthanasia included multiple individuals including the patient, doctor, and witnesses, where each party involved has a set of legal responsibilities. In order to understand this quandary and eventually reach a conclusion, each party involved must have their responsibilities analyzed and the underlying guidelines of moral ethics must be investigated.

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522 Words | 3 Pages

The Right to Die 1) Introduction a) Thesis statement: Physician assisted suicide offers patients a choice of getting out of their pain and misery, presents a way to help those who are already dead mentally because of how much a disease has taken over them, proves to be a great option in many states its legal in, and puts the family at ease knowing their love one is out of pain. i) The use of physician assisted death is used in many different countries and some states. ii) Many people who chose this option are fighting a terminal illness.

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1014 Words | 5 Pages

From an economic standpoint, euthanasia is a brilliant alternative. Though many see it as unethical, it may be relieving for the victims to know that once they’ve passed they’re no longer considered burdens to their families. Though harsh, keeping a terminally ill person alive for a year costs no less than $55,000, dying in a dignified way is their last resort when they know their condition is not going to improve. Many patients with incurable diseases have stated that the lengthy and expensive time and operations granted by their families are not worth the few extra months they get of spending time on Earth.

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