Whos_ur_Buddha
July 15th, 2015, 08:45 PM
Ugh I know its bad but its due today. What do you think and any advice if you have any
Physician-assisted Suicide
Physician-assisted suicide is a very grim subject but it is a necessary one in the medical community. If the act of physician-assisted suicide is legalized it can aid in the welfare of the terminally ill and aid in physicians better upholding the Hippocratic oath in which physicians swear. This topic is a moral topic whether allowing someone to take their life and even giving them the means to do so is wrong.
Before the discussion of morality there is one thing that needs to be cleared before hand. This is not a article on euthanasia. Euthanasia is the mercy killing of an individual of terminal illness by the physician. Physician-assisted suicide is when a physician gives the tools required for suicide with the patient's request. The major difference is that assisted suicide is in complete patient control and euthanasia can be in the physician's control.
This brings up the question of morality. Physicians have an obligation to relieve pain and suffering and to promote the dignity of dying patients in their care but, does this obligation mean that in order to maintain the patents dignity that they must have the means to die if they chose to do so? Honestly, the answer is yes the main duty of a physician is to relieve pain. If this means the only option to relieve pain is death then they must be allowed to do so. If they can't do so then the physician failed to meet their own duty as a healer.
Unfortunately, responsibilities still does not answer ethics. In order to answer the question on ethics there will be a scenario presented. Say that you are a patient you just received the news that your cancer has metastasized to your brain the prognosis is grim your doctor told you “you only have around 3 months to live and all we can do is give medication to prevent pain but in about a month the medication will fail to do so”. Your only option is to die in pain because your physician can’t aid in your death but you want to go peacefully before the pain kicks in. The moral thing to do would give the means to commit suicide or at least have the option but unfortunately they can't because it is illegal to do so in 46 states. This leaves the patient in pain and wishing to die. This is where Hippocratic oath comes in which states that as a physician “With regard to healing the sick, I will devise and order for them the best diet, according to my judgment and means; and I will take care that they suffer no hurt or damage."
Physician-assisted Suicide
Physician-assisted suicide is a very grim subject but it is a necessary one in the medical community. If the act of physician-assisted suicide is legalized it can aid in the welfare of the terminally ill and aid in physicians better upholding the Hippocratic oath in which physicians swear. This topic is a moral topic whether allowing someone to take their life and even giving them the means to do so is wrong.
Before the discussion of morality there is one thing that needs to be cleared before hand. This is not a article on euthanasia. Euthanasia is the mercy killing of an individual of terminal illness by the physician. Physician-assisted suicide is when a physician gives the tools required for suicide with the patient's request. The major difference is that assisted suicide is in complete patient control and euthanasia can be in the physician's control.
This brings up the question of morality. Physicians have an obligation to relieve pain and suffering and to promote the dignity of dying patients in their care but, does this obligation mean that in order to maintain the patents dignity that they must have the means to die if they chose to do so? Honestly, the answer is yes the main duty of a physician is to relieve pain. If this means the only option to relieve pain is death then they must be allowed to do so. If they can't do so then the physician failed to meet their own duty as a healer.
Unfortunately, responsibilities still does not answer ethics. In order to answer the question on ethics there will be a scenario presented. Say that you are a patient you just received the news that your cancer has metastasized to your brain the prognosis is grim your doctor told you “you only have around 3 months to live and all we can do is give medication to prevent pain but in about a month the medication will fail to do so”. Your only option is to die in pain because your physician can’t aid in your death but you want to go peacefully before the pain kicks in. The moral thing to do would give the means to commit suicide or at least have the option but unfortunately they can't because it is illegal to do so in 46 states. This leaves the patient in pain and wishing to die. This is where Hippocratic oath comes in which states that as a physician “With regard to healing the sick, I will devise and order for them the best diet, according to my judgment and means; and I will take care that they suffer no hurt or damage."