My Life, My Body, My Choice

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Recommended: Physician-assisted suicide or the right to die is a controversial topic for healthcare professionals

Physician assisted suicide helps terminally ill patients commit suicide to relieve them of their pain. According to the website kevinmd.com, James C. Salwitz, an oncologist who blogs on the website Sunrise Rounds states in the article “An argument against physician assisted suicide”, that “quality of life at the end of one’s life is not guaranteed and perhaps not even likely.” Physician assisted suicide can be beneficial to a patient who prefer quality of life versus longevity. In addition, a patient who is experiencing a terminal illness should have a right to choose death over life and visa-versa. According to merriam-webster online dictionary physician assisted suicide is “suicide by a patient facilitated by means or information (as a drug prescription or indication of the lethal dosage) provided by a physician who is aware of how the patient intends to use such means or information.” According to wikipedia.com, an online encyclopedia; there are certain requirements that need to be met in order to be eligible for physician assisted suicide, such as the patient being within six months of death. In addition, Wikipedia states "The process is set forth in law, including the requirements that the patient must be of sound mind when requesting assisted suicide, as confirmed by a doctor and other witnesses, and the patient must be diagnosed with a terminal illness."
Some people believe that physician assisted suicide is murder while others believe physician assisted suicide should be available to terminally ill patients. Micheal H. White, a member of the board of Death With Dignity Education Center, and past-co-chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Bioethics Committee, states that physician assisted suicide relieves the patie...

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...4.
Quill, Timothy E. "Progress in the Last Decade." The Hastings Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar.
2014.
Quill, Timothy. "Progress in the Last Decade." The Hastings Center. N.p., n.d. Web.html (7 pp.)
21 Apr. 2014.
Salwitz, James. "An argument against physician-assisted suicide." KevinMD.com. N.p., 31 Oct.
2013. Web.html (3 pp.) 21 Apr. 2014.
Sobsey, Dick. "The Broadreach Centre." The Broadreach Centre. N.p., n.d. Web.html (3 pp.) 21
Apr.2014.
State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide - Euthanasia - ProCon.org." ProConorg
Headlines. ProCon.org, 12 Dec. 2013. Web.html (5 pp.) 11 Mar. 2014.
Sathya, Chethan. "Docs Offside on Physician-assisted Suicide." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada,
02 Dec. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
White, Micheal H., and Tracy E. Miller. "Before I Die: Opinions." Before I Die: Opinions. The
Issues, n.d. Web. Html (4 pp.)12 Mar. 2014.

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