Informational Research Piece
Top 10 List: The Top 5 Pros and Top 5 Cons of Physician Assisted Suicide
Pros
- Reduces pain and suffering- Most patients that opt to die via physician assisted suicide are terminally ill, and have been in pain for an extended period of time. This medical procedure allows them to die without suffering for longer than they have to. It also gives the family reassurance to know that their loved one is no longer in pain. ("Physician Assisted Suicide Pros." )
- Allows patients to die with dignity- A terminally ill patient can choose physician assisted suicide in order to to die with dignity. This means that if they know their condition will only decline, they can choose to die before they become completely bedridden, and rely on nurses to help them perform daily tasks such as eating and using the restroom. ("7 Important Euthanasia Pros and Cons.")
- Organs can be donated- If the death is scheduled, doctors can plan to harvest the organs immediately after their death, if the patient consents to donating their organs. Also, with physician assisted suicides, more organs are viable for harvest compared to if they committed suicide using a form of trauma, such as jumping off of a bridge or building, which would render the organs useless for donation. ("Physician Assisted Suicide Pros." )
- Decreases independent suicide rates- Having physician assisted suicide available to patients, decreases the rate of independent suicides. Most independent suicide attempts fail, leaving the patient with irreversible injuries.Also, when people commit suicide independently, they use methods that cause a lot of pain and trauma to the body, unlike physician assisted suicide. ("13 Pros and Cons of Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide.")
- Provides choice- Having physician assisted suicide provides choice for terminally ill patients. It allows them to choose between enduring their pain and eventually dying from natural causes, or to take advantage of this procedure and end their pain sooner. ("13 Pros and Cons of Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide." )
Cons
- Can be misused- Family members or friends may go behind the patient's back and make the decision for them, which would result in severe punishment of the family member or friend. Also, doctors sometimes make the decision for patients who cannot make decisions themselves,instead of letting them die naturally, which is severely illegal. ("13 Pros and Cons of Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide.")
- Doctors can make inaccurate diagnosis- When someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness, and given less than six months to live, sometimes they want to end their life painlessly before the illness begins to cause them pain and suffering. This can be an issue if the doctor has made an inaccurate diagnosis, and someone decides to end their life with physician assisted suicide, and they end up not being sick at all. ("8 Main Pros and Cons of Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide." )
- Immature death- Young patients could take advantage of this procedure after an accident, and not give themselves time to heal, or they get impatient with the healing process and don’t give life a second chance. ("8 Main Pros and Cons of Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide.")
- There are alternative treatments available- The medical procedures available today are extremely advanced, and new ones are being created almost everyday. If patients choose assisted suicide right away, instead of trying alternative treatments first, they could die the day before a procedure or treatment that would cure their illness. (List of 5 Big Euthanasia Pros and Cons.")
- Can lead to less research regarding terminal illnesses- For example, if the majority of cancer patients begin choosing assisted suicide rather than treatment, then the government and large companies will have no reason to continue funding research for a cure for cancer. ("List of 5 Big Euthanasia Pros and Cons.")
Many medical procedures create ethical controversy, but those differences should be overlooked as human lives must be the primary focus.