Physician-assisted Death: Ethical Implications for Emergency Physicians. Acad Emerg Med 2019 Feb;26(2):250-255
Date
09/20/2018Pubmed ID
30230665DOI
10.1111/acem.13618Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85059552870 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 1 CitationAbstract
Physician-assisted death (PAD) has long been a strongly debated moral and public policy issue in the United States, and an increasing number of jurisdictions have legalized this practice under certain circumstances. In light of changing terminology, laws, public and professional attitudes, and the availability of published data about the practice, we review key concepts and terms in the ongoing PAD debate, moral arguments for and against PAD, the current legal status of PAD in the United States and in other nations, and data on the reported experience with PAD in those U.S. jurisdictions where it is a legal practice. We then identify situations in which emergency physicians (EPs) may encounter patients who request PAD or have attempted to end their lives with physician assistance and consider EP responses in those situations. Based on our analysis, we offer recommendations for emergency medical practice and professional association policy.
Author List
Derse AR, Moskop JC, McGrath NA, Vearrier LE, Clayborne EP, Goett RR, Limehouse WE JrAuthor
Arthur R. Derse MD, JD Director, Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Emergency MedicineHumans
Suicide, Assisted
United States