What Happens Now? Oregon and Physician-Assisted Suicide

Abstract

With assisted suicide now legally sanctioned, health care professionals in Oregon face the challenge of implementing Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. Physicians, hospice professionals, pharmacists, and other caregivers may find their relationships with patients, families, and fellow professionals changing in unanticipated ways as all learn what it means to make aid in dying openly and compassionately available to patients at the end of life.

A concept analysis of dignity for older adults

“…The behaviour of dying individuals was the focus of articles in which the issues of dying with dignity were presented (Frankl 1990, Rankin et al. 1998, Woolfrey 1998, Dimoliatus 2000, Chochinov et al. 2002).…”

“…Three authors (Rankin et al. 1998, Woolfrey 1998, Dimoliatus 2000) determined that in order to achieve a dignified death, individuals must exercise control over their care, treatment and remaining time. Frankl (1990) proposed that dignity in dying might be a result of the ability to endure suffering courageously.…”

Clinical Problems with the Performance of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide in the Netherlands

“…A judicial distinction between physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia may be complicated by such practical issues. 21 Second, if physician-assisted suicide is legalized but euthanasia is not, some competent patients may not be able to end their own lives for purely physical reasons, as in the case of patients with neurologic illnesses who have problems with swallowing or using their hands and patients who are physically too weak to take all the oral medication themselves. One study *In one case, intravenous injection was difficult because of lymphedema.…”

Medical assistance in dying: implications for health systems from a scoping review of the literature

“…15,29,32,33 Seven articles examined the use of guidelines and/or frameworks to support decision-making. 13,17,21,26,[32][33][34] Werth et al argued that guidelines were necessary to aid psychological evaluations of mental condition(s) and capacity to consent 32 -a necessary criterion in some jurisdictions. All seven articles agreed that institutional and professional guidelines to support MAiD practices are necessary, but often underdeveloped or poorly integrated into existing health services.…”