Euthanasia, Or Assisted Dying - 1950 Words

Euthanasia, or assisted dying, is the process involving physician intervention to kill a patient in order to end his or her suffering. This term is often brought up when dealing with terminally ill patients with a bleak course for their illness. The argument here is that the patients are irrationally suffering because they are terminally ill, and thus, they should be allowed the choice of euthanasia to end their suffering. Most physicians agree with this argument as it falls within their duty to maintain patient autonomy, which is the patient’s right to make decisions for his or her own interest regarding course of treatment. It is especially important to maintain this autonomy in the 21st century, because dignity, and individuality are†¦show more content†¦While it is important for a physician to maintain a patient’s autonomy, â€Å"the physician has a duty to secure both his or her patient s welfare and his or her organization s welfare†(Minogue 433). It will certainly be impressive to honor all of their patient’s requests, but physicians have to take care of their own reputation as well. There is no value in doctors that blindly listen to their patients, as they are suppose to be the experts in the relationship. Thus, a physician should only honor a normal patient’s request for euthanasia after having carefully considered all the appeals and have not been able to come up with a more likely desired outcome. Before moving on it is important that euthanasia is clearly established and defined. Euthanasia is an umbrella term that encompasses four groups: voluntary, and involuntary euthanasia, then active, and passive euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia involves documented or written consent from the patient whereas involuntary euthanasia involves a decision made by the physician without consultation with the patient. Involuntary euthanasia falls in the same line as murder; euthanasia as mentioned in the paper thus far and beyond will only refer to voluntary euthanasia unless specified. Beyond that, euthanasia is broken down into two smaller groups. Active euthanasia is the direct killing of a patient through methods such as lethal injections or lethal drugs. PassiveShow MoreRelatedEuthanasia - Assisted Suicide Or Assisted Dying2174 Words   |  9 Pages The terms euthanasia, assisted suicide or assisted dying denotes the intentional killing of a person suffering from an incurable disorder and originates from Greek words Eu (good) and Thanatos death. Dowbiggin, (2003) states that pre-Christian societies tolerated suicide, abortions and ‘active’ euthanasia, the death of a person from fatal medications given by a second person. However, not all society was so tolerant of such practices, according to Mcphearson (2015), Hippocrates and his followersRead MorePhysician Assisted Dying ( Pad ) And Euthanasia1476 Words   |  6 Pagessomeone one day then all of a sudden the next day you become nobody. Just like that a major event may occur in your life as well as those around you. Physician Assisted Dying (PAD) and euthanasia has just recently been legal here in Canada as of 2015. Bill 52, which allows for euthanasia, is a bill that allows people to have medical help dying, as long as they have an incurable illness. The patient must be in constant unbearable physical or psychological pain that cannot be helped. In order to receiveRead MoreEuthanasia Essay : Euthanasia And Euthanasia863 Words   |  4 PagesThis is why Euthanasia is important and summarizing the research that I found on Euthanasia. Euthanasia is important because there is a lot of arguments about Euthanasia. 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