Physician Assisted Suicide
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Physician Assisted Suicide
The mission of this hospital is rooted in our emphasis on the
individual, and directed toward providing the highest level of autonomy,
beneficance, comfort, healing, privacy and respect for the dignity of the
patient. With these as our guiding principles, we evaluated Physician Assisted
Suicide (PAS) as a possible treatment option at this institution. We have
concluded that PAS can be a viable treatment option after making the following
considerations: 1. Defing the elements of justified PAS, 2. Consideration of
moral justifications, 3. Why personal autonomy is important, 4. Informed
consent, and 5. The benefits of the approach of causitry to issues of biomedical
ethics. The elements of PAS are an agreement between a physician and the patient
on the treatment option after consideration of all other options, (informed
consent) conditions consistant with the Oregon state law and the asurance of the
agent choosing this course of action in an autonymous nature. Moral arguements
question the validity of PAS as an option. We make the determination that PAS
can indeed be considered equivelent to other medical decisions regarding whether
or not continue treatment in cases where the prognosis is immenent death, or
prolonged intense suffering followed by death. If for example, a patient with a
terminal illness such as lung cancer has a choice between hospice care, and
being made comfortable, or PAS, we can not say that the two approaches are
inconsistant with eachother. A patient who refuses treatment and accepts death
as a consequence has the right self determination by law. If this action is
acceptable under law, it is not unfair to consider PAS as an equivelent means to
the same end. Therefore, there will be cases where PAS is most certainly a valid
option for the patient. To reach our decision, it is important to understand our
view of personal autonomy. We will elaborate on it's relevance and worth in
addressing PAS. Finally, criteria for PAS candidates is intricate, and
established. Though we justify PAS as a viable treatment option, we do not take
issue with the legal criertia established by the state of Oregon. Personal
Autonomy Personal autonomy can be characterized as self-determination or the the
extent to which an individual actively participates in in how his or her life is
lived. Autonomy, therefore, requires some elements of control and choice.
Defining autonomy in a being that is both rational and passionate can prove
comp...
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