Physician-assisted suicide or death has emerged as a major controversial and medical-ethical issue in the modern health care system. This issue has attracted huge concerns and debates among policymakers, medical practitioners, and the public. These concerns and debates have led to the emergence of arguments and counter-arguments in support and opposition to physician-assisted suicide. In addition, physician-assisted suicide has become a topic of research by various scholars based on these concerns and its benefits and/or disadvantages. An example of a research that focuses on the issue is the study by Timothy E. Quill on why physician-assisted suicide should be allowed. The author argues for the acceptance of physician-assisted suicide based on his experience as a primary care physician and the assistance he provided to many patients to die with their full consent. Quill's research article is helpful in providing justification for the overall legalization and acceptance of physician-assisted suicide.
The author begins by stating that his work as a primary care physician and palliative care consultant has involved...
These patients would have chosen another alternative or path if their diseases or conditions were not severe and irreversible (Quill, 2012, p.57). He also argues that clinicians should first ensure the sufficiency of palliative interventions in response to a request for assisted death since palliative care and hospice should be standards of care for patients with terminally-ill conditions. However, some of these patients will suffer intolerably despite receiving high quality palliative care, though such interventions are generally effective whereas a small portion will ask for physician-assisted suicide. This implies that palliative care can deal with most, but not all, end-of-life suffering if utilized with skill and expertise.
Under these conditions, there are five probable interventions that are utilized as the last resort including hastening opioids for dyspnea or pain and preventing probablelife-prolonging therapies. The other interventions include opting to stop eating and drinking, palliative sedation, and physician-assisted death.…
