Keywords

physician-assisted dying, palliative care, medical ethics

Disciplines

Bioethics and Medical Ethics | Palliative Care

Abstract

The Op-Ed article in the New York Times (November 4th, 2016), “On Assisted Suicide, Going Beyond Do No Harm” by Haider Javed Warraich provided an articulate and timely plea for more widespread availability and application of physician-assisted dying, or “suicide”, as part of end-of-life medical care. While this profound intervention should be considered by physicians and others as an option for those able to express their wishes at the end-of-life, it must be considered in the context of the ethical principles appropriate for all health care interventions and recognized for its limited role in the overall approach to compassionate care for terminally ill people.

Original Citation

Johnson RF. Going beyond ‘do no harm’: a critical annotation. Ann Palliat Med 2017;6(Suppl 2):S266-S268. doi: 10.21037/apm.2017.09.08

Share

COinS