How We Die

Paper Summary:

Major scientific, technological and medical advances have greatly enhanced the life expectancy of the average person. This paper discusses how although there are many instances where doctors can preserve life artificially, the question becomes whether or not the patient has the freedom to choose whether or not to prolong his or her life. It looks how the question of whether or not an individual has the legal right to take his or her own life is not easily situated within the parameters of the United States' legal and political environment and how this is perhaps why it is so difficult to take a clear stance on the issues when they arise in the courtrooms.

Outline:
Introduction
Definitions
Role of the Legal and Political Process
Self-Determination
How the Various Levels of Government are Involved
Cases and Their Legal Complexities
Strategies and Recommendations for Addressing Healthcare Issue
Effect of Current Issue on Future Initiatives in Healthcare Delivery

From the Paper:

"Passive euthanasia is defined as withdrawing or withholding medical treatment knowing that doing so will cause the patient's death (Dines, 1995). For example, if a patient requires a machine to maintain breathing and the doctors disconnect the machine, the patient will presumably die fairly soon. A second example of passive euthanasia is a "do not resuscitate order". Another example is if a patient comes to the emergency room while having a heart attack, the doctors and nurses will provide medications and treatments to revive him. If a patient has made his wishes known that he does not want to be revived, the medical staff simply make the patient comfortable and watch as the patient dies. The health care providers are not performing actions that deliberately end someone's life, they just not doing anything to keep them alive."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Allen, J., Chavez, S., DeSimone, S., Howard, D., Johnson, K., LaPierre, L., et al. (2006). Americans Attitudes Toward Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide, 1936-2002. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare. 33:2.
• Asch, A. (1996). The Role of Critical Care Nurses in Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. New England Journal of Medicine, 334, 1374-1379.
• Burgess, S. (1998). Suicide, Euthanasia, and the Psychiatrist, Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology, 5:2,113-126.
• Charatan, F. (2005) US Supreme Court upholds Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. British Medical Journal, Jan 2006, 332:195.
• Dines, A. (1995). Does the distinction between killing and letting die justify some forms of euthanasia? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2: 5, 911 May 1995

More papers on How We Die:

• Analytical Essay # 72522 : "Sherwin Nuland's "How We Die"
• Analytical Essay # 75789 : "The Right to Die"
• Analytical Essay # 41877 : "The Boy Who Died in My Alley"

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