Problem
After you read both articles (please read the article from the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine first and the Annals of Internal Medicine article after that), then respond to the following:
A. What are your initial thoughts/reactions to these two articles?
B. The first article clearly shows that a good majority of physicians support the concept of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), but the major medical associations (including the ACP noted in the second article) oppose physicians participating in it. Why is there conflict between these two positions?
C. Based upon your reading of these articles (and your own perspective) what needs to happen to move PAS more into the mainstream of end-of-life medical care?
D. The Yale article points out some concerns physicians have with PAS. What are thoughts/comments on those issues?
E. We have previously talked about institutional involvement in medical care. What are some of the institutions involved in this issue and what has there impact been?
F. It has been nearly 30 years since the first state law allowing PAS was passed and there are currently 8 states that allow it. At this rate it would take approximately 168 years for all 50 states to have laws allowing it. Without uniform support across the country what other ways can end-of-life care be address by the health care system or what other options do patients have who wish to terminate their lives early if they are not in one of those states?