Los Angeles Valley College The Ethics of Death with Dignity Act Discussion
Description
Death With Dignity Scenario and Reflection
To complete each scenario assignment:Complete the entire scenario.Compose your reflection in a Word document and be sure to address, at a minimum, the following questions:Why do you feel the way you do about the issue presented?Of the four responses offered in the scenario, which do you feel is the most ethical and why?Support your conclusions with evidence and specific examples from the textbook, as well as other sources as needed.Your reflection must be 1-2 pages in length and follow APA formatting and citation guidelines as appropriate.
Death with Dignity scenario conversation
debating the death with dignity acthello everyone, thank you for coming today.do we, as human beings, have a right to end our own lives when faced with a painful, terminal disease?or does suicide under any circumstances violate the sancitity of human life?These are tricky questions bound in morals derived from various and sometimes contradictory sources.Proponents call physician-assisted suicide merciful and sometimes necessary to end human suffering, while some opponents see it as an offense to the sanctity of life.Other opponents raise the possibility of PAS as an abrogation of rights if the individual in question is not of sound mind.And who decides whatof sound mind means?Today our speakers will be debating the ethics of oregons Death with Dignity Act.As you may know, the Act was passed in 1997 and allows terminally-ill Oregonians to end their lives through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications, expressly prescribed by a physician for that purpose.The Act was a citizens initiative, enacted because a majority of voting Oregonians believed that persons afflicted with certain terminal illnesses should have the legal right to hasten their deaths.
Person 1:Dr.Mahal: Thank you. Legality is not an issue here, but I think that perhaps precedence is.Is Oregons law ethical as it stands? Absolutely.And a statement from us with regard to this law could have a significant effect on other states considering similar laws.I believe the ethics of informed physician-assisted suicide are sound, and the law as it stands conforms to ethical standards and practices I would hope to see adopted by other states.Youve heard Dr.Mahals opening argument. Click the thought bubble icon to see his opinions.The law in Oregon is morally justified.The Oregon law could significantly affect other states considering similar laws.Physician-assisted suicide is morally justified.Agree? Dont agree?
Person 2:Dr.Meadows: Dr. Mahal, you sayinformed physician-assisted suicide, and thats an important distinction!I understand that a patient must profess to be of sound mind to be eligible, and the physician must confirm that.There is also a stipulation that the doctor must offer medical alternatives including comfort care and pain management.But the waiting period to consider these options seems fairly short.Do you really believe that this is a reasonable model to follow for patients making such a momentous decision?
I have a question from the audience.With todays medical advances, doesnt proper pain management negate the need for physician-assisted suicide?Dr. Mahal?
Dr.Mahal: No. In fact, many of the laws opponents admit that pain management techniques fail in 5% of terminally-ill patients.Anyway, pain is only one aspect of the difficulties terminally ill patients face. They also deal with the loss of their dignity and autonomy, not to mention mental and emotional anxiety.
I have a question from the audience.Who can participate in the Death with Dignity Act? Dr.Meadows?
Dr.Meadows: The law states that a patient must be 18 tears of age or older, a resident of Oregon, capable of making and communicating health care decisions for him/herself, and diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within six months. It is up to the attending physician to determine whether these criteria have been met.
Dr. Mahal: There is a 15-day wait once the paperwork is filed, the way I understand it. That gives a doctor plenty of time to evaluate the patients condition and soundness of mind. If the waiting period were much longer, it might defeat the purpose of the legislation. Its definitely long enough to allow for a patient to contact their family members and carefully consider the decision.
Dr. Meadows: But there is no requirement that doctors explain the ethical position of those who oppose physician-assisted suicide. If a patient is acting out of fear, reminding them of the sanctity of life might serve to jog their memory of whats morally right and wrong, perhaps to inspire the patient to persevere and die bravely. I am in agreement that alternatives must be offered, but perhaps moving forward we could recommend a greater number of alternatives, including an ethics-based rebuttal to the concept.If an act violates the sanctity of human life, then it is morally wrong.Physician-assisted suicide violates the sanctity of human life. It is morally wrong.
I have a question from the audience.Are doctors in Oregon forced to participate, even if they oppose physician-assisted suicide? Dr. Meadows?
Dr.Meadows: No, physicians are not required to provide prescriptions to patients, and participation is voluntary. Additionally, some health care systems( for example, a Catholic hospital or the Veterans Administration) have prohibitions against practicing the Act that physicians must abide by as terms of their employment.In these cases, the patient must find another doctor licensed to practice medicine in Oregon who is willing to participate.
I have a question from the audience.Isnt this law a slippery slope toward euthanasia? Dr. Mahal?Dr. Mahal: I dont think Oregon residents would have voted for a loosely written, open-ended law. There are safeguards in place that specifically require and guarantee direct patient involvement. Euthanasia is an ambiguous concept that often implies a persons involuntary death, and is illegal throughout the United States.
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