Oregon Death with Dignity Act

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Oregon's "right to die" legislation - its Death with Dignity Act. The paper discusses the strain on health care in the United States and then argues that allowing a patient to die of his/her own volition is a better use of health care facilities than taking heroic measures to prolong life, regardless how painful, demeaning or without purpose.

From the Paper:

"Lost in the debate about Oregon's "right to die" legislation is that the State of Oregon also embarked on a thorough analysis of healthcare rationing. The state disallowed a number of categories of medical treatment, and cut back on a number of other such methods, in order to free up resources to focus on the sicker patients. The overall goal was to support procedures and the use of resources in such a way that healthcare was enhanced. The right-to-die legislation was part and parcel of this overall effort. Those backing the legislation in the State understood that heroic expenditures at the end of life were not only futile, but they diverted scarce resources from other areas where the patients could be better-helped."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Crisci, M. (2001). Attitudes towards death and dying in a representative sample of the Italian population. Palliative Medicine , 372-378.
• EIU. (2007). World Economic Glossary 2008. London: Economist.
• Journal. (1981). Our Changing Attitude towards Death. The Journal of Popular Culture , 741-743.
• Klein, E. (2007). The Health of Nations: How Europe, Canada, and our own VA do health care better. The American Prospect , n.p.
• NEJM Editorial. (1994). Rationing Medical Care -- A Comparative Perspective. NEJM , 1089-1091.

More papers on Oregon Death with Dignity Act:

• Term Paper # 140298 : "The Oregon Death With Dignity Act of 1994"
• Research Paper # 95333 : "Oregon Death with Dignity Act"
• Persuasive Essay # 51967 : "Oregon's Death with Dignity Act"

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