Physician-Assisted Suicide

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Physician-Assisted Suicide
Recently, there has been an enormous debate over physician-assisted suicide and whether it should be legalized. Physician-assisted suicide is when a doctor intentionally provides a patient with knowledge or means to commit suicide, including counseling about lethal doses of medication, prescribing such lethal doses or providing the drugs. In patient-centered care, end-of-life is one of the most important aspects of health care systems. Advanced nursing and medical studies have increased the knowledge regarding the process of dying, giving the humans the privilege of selecting the method, location and approximate period of death. Similarly, intervening in the death process can also increase the lifespan of a person, even when there is little hope of living longer or full recovery. Despite the vast knowledge of mortality, there are still contemporary end-of-life issues that remain contradictory among different cultures (M, Morris).
One of the primary reasons why end-of-life issues have not been sufficiently addressed is because of different values held by various religions, cultures, and beliefs. Life is highly valued in several cultures and religious groups. Cultural and religious perspectives observe that only the Supreme Being can take, give or control how long a person is supposed to live. Moreover, there are high emotions that are often attached to people since the death of a person means complete extraction of the physical presence of an individual.

Thus, such emotions and cultural beliefs are the major hindrances that cripple the smooth readdress of end-of-life. Physician-assisted suicide permits incurably ill adult patients to willingly appeal and obtain prescriptions to accelerate the course of death (Meyer, Richard). The two perspectives that typically arise are that it is unethical because professional integrity strongly advocates for the preservation of the quality of life and it is the patient’s right since death and life are personal and hence the right for autonomy. This topic is especially prevalent since a few states in America have made this practice legal in the recent past. This is mainly because the patients have the right to autonomy when it comes to medical decisions and the physicians are obliged to protect client’s right to independence.
The first aspect of this perspective is the physical trauma that the patient undergoes. People should be allowed to die with dignity without subjecting them to prolonged pain with little or no hope of a cure. Studies indicate that end-of-life care is characterized by traumatic periods for the patient since they must undertake various medical procedures with no hope of cure or to prolong their stay for extra two or one months. However, it is not only the patients who agree that they should be able to die on their personal terms but the public as well. A Gallup study showed that seventy percent of people believe it should be legal, but then to truly see how strongly people felt about this the study changed the wording around (Meyer, Richard). They removed all references to “painless means” and “family consent” and deliberately added the word “suicide”, but more than half of the participants still expressed support in favor of these medical procedures.
The second aspect of this topic would be the patient’s mental misery because, without physician-assisted suicide, many people will experience depression and resort to committing suicide other ways, such as hanging, drowning, or cutting themselves. In a perfect case scenario, Tom Nicklinson, a patient suffering from a medical condition that inhibits the functions of the body muscles referred to as the “locked in” syndrome, a condition which he described as a living nightmare. He went to court seeking legal intervention on two occasions unsuccessfully. Because of the pain and torture, he opted to starve to death, which is what happened after one week, dying in “indignity and misery” from pneumonia. But it is more than just them contemplating suicide; they should not have to have anxiety over their death. Many patients reported fearing every day the uncertainty and were always worried preventing them from living life to the fullest that they could. Another victim, Terry Pratchett, stated that he wanted to die peacefully listening to his iPod. “If I knew that I could die at any time I wanted, then suddenly every day would be as precious as a million pounds,” he stated. He believed that it was his life, his death and his choice as most other patients feel (““Did You Know.” Euthanasia Procon”).
The third aspect of this topic is the financial pain that the patient or patient’s’ family must endure. A study conducted at Mount Sinai School of Medicine discovered that the total expenses of the patients were $39,000 for individuals, $51,000 for couples, and $66,000 for a long-term illness. These medical bills exceed forty percent of the average household’s financial assets. This can bring a family into an immense amount of debt and cause the poor patient to feel like a burden. But it is not just their feelings that the people should think about, but the fact that it is just not worth it. Research on Medicare expenses illustrated that 55,000 dollars were spent on patients diagnosed with cancer only to extend their lives for a slightly above one month. In another study, 40,000 dollars were paid to cater medical expenses for a ninety-three-year-old male suffering from terminal cancer to get a defibrillator through surgical procedures because of heart condition (Wang, Penelope). This money could be used towards non-terminal patients who need the operations and to whom the services will save. As citizens, the people have the decision to make either to keep them alive in pain, with life support machines, with no chances of recovery at an enormous cost or to allow them to go peacefully with no financial burden being added to the already tragic loss.
In conclusion, although death is not always the only answer, patients should have the right to decide for themselves regarding physician-assisted suicide because it is their physical, mental and financial agony. As for their physical pain, people are entitled to the right of dying in humane, dignified, peaceful death, if they choose to since it is them who must undergo the brutal pain and unnecessary treatments. It should also be legal since the majority wants it legal as stated in the Gallup Study. Regarding their mental suffering, without this right, patients may become depressed and determined to end their pain by committing suicide other ways such as shooting, drowning, or cutting themselves. And as for their financial pain, patients, and their families should not be subject to paying hefty health care bills for procedures they do not want.
Annotated Bibliography
For my persuasive essay, I picked the topic of physician-assisted suicide. I believe that it should be legal in cases where death is certain and patient consents in writing. It is not the government’s place to decide whether to end a dying patient’s life. But it’s not just about the pain and agony they go through, but it is also expensive to be in a hospital which could become a tremendous burden. Without physician-assisted suicide, people might even be drawn to commit suicide by themselves and be forced to die painfully. Due to these reasons, I firmly believe that it should be legal. Below I have listed my four primary focuses for my essay.
People should have the right to die with dignity and in a humane way (not suffering).
Health care expenses can be reduced (for the family who must pay for it).
Patients should have the right to decide for themselves.
Without physician assistance people may commit suicide other ways such as hanging, drowning, or cutting themselves.
Meyer, Richard. ” The Cost of Keeping the Terminally Ill Alive.” KevinMD. 16 December 2010.
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/12/cost-keeping-terminally-ill-alive.html. Accessed
12 October 2016. In this article, Kevin MD states and gives data on how much money is
given to end-of-life care. It also explains how the money is used for unnecessary
procedures, medicine, and tests. This document will illustrate the point that end of life
care is extremely expensive and often includes unnecessary procedures. I will use this information to prove physician-assisted suicide will prevent hefty medical bills (especially for the family who must pay for it).
Wang, Penelope. “Cutting the High Cost of End-of-Life Care.” 12 December 2012.
http://time.com/money/2793643/cutting-the-high-cost-of-end-of-life-care/. Accessed 12 October 2016. In this article, Time states and gives data on the patient’s opinions towards all the forced procedures to prolong their suffering. This article also reveals how much Medicare and family members have been paying for this type of care. I will use this information to prove the point that patients don’t want to undergo all these surgeries to extend their lives slightly. This information will also aid my position that patients should have the right to decide for themselves.
“Did You Know.” 28 September 2010. http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resource.
Accessed 12 October 2016. In this article, ProCon, gives statistics on how Americans
truly feel about physician-assisted suicide. It also discusses the places in which it is legal and their laws about it. I will use this information to demonstrate my point about how people should have the right to die with dignity and in a humane way. Also, I will use the laws in the states in which it is legal to prove my point further.
M, Morris. “10 Arguments for Legalizing Euthanasia.” 12 September 2013.
http://listverse.com/2013/09/12/10-arguments-for-legalising-euthanasia/. Accessed 12 September 2013. This article provides an immense amount of information including the fact that physician-assisted suicide saves lives, the public supports it, and it makes economic sense and the terrifying alternatives. In this article, it also brings up the topic of the Hippocratic Oath and its accurate interpretation. I will use this information to prove my point that, without physician assistance people may commit suicide other ways such as hanging, drowning, or cutting themselves. I will also use the information of the Hippocratic Oath to further my point.
Works Cited
“Did You Know.” Euthanasia Procon. 28 September 2010.
http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resource. Accessed 12 October 016
M, Morris. “10 Arguments for Legalizing Euthanasia.” Listverse. 12 September 2013.
http://listverse.com/2013/09/12/10-arguments-for-legalising-euthanasia/. Accessed 12 September 2013
Meyer, Richard. ” The Cost of Keeping the Terminally Ill Alive.” KevinMD. 16 December 2010.
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/12/cost-keeping-terminally-ill-alive.html. Accessed
12 October 2016.
Wang, Penelope. “Cutting the High Cost of End-of-Life Care.” Time. 12 December 2012.
http://time.com/money/2793643/cutting-the-high-cost-of-end-of-life-care/. Accessed 12 October 2016.