Title |
Should assisted dying be legalised?
|
---|---|
Published in |
Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine, January 2014
|
DOI | 10.1186/1747-5341-9-3 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Thomas D G Frost, Devan Sinha, Barnabas J Gilbert |
Abstract |
When an individual facing intractable pain is given an estimate of a few months to live, does hastening death become a viable and legitimate alternative for willing patients? Has the time come for physicians to do away with the traditional notion of healthcare as maintaining or improving physical and mental health, and instead accept their own limitations by facilitating death when requested? The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge held the 2013 Varsity Medical Debate on the motion "This House Would Legalise Assisted Dying". This article summarises the key arguments developed over the course of the debate. We will explore how assisted dying can affect both the patient and doctor; the nature of consent and limits of autonomy; the effects on society; the viability of a proposed model; and, perhaps most importantly, the potential need for the practice within our current medico-legal framework. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Canada | 1 | 13% |
France | 1 | 13% |
United Kingdom | 1 | 13% |
Unknown | 5 | 63% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 7 | 88% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 1 | 13% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United Kingdom | 1 | 2% |
Mexico | 1 | 2% |
Unknown | 64 | 97% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
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Student > Bachelor | 15 | 23% |
Student > Master | 12 | 18% |
Researcher | 6 | 9% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 4 | 6% |
Student > Postgraduate | 4 | 6% |
Other | 9 | 14% |
Unknown | 16 | 24% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
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Medicine and Dentistry | 17 | 26% |
Social Sciences | 11 | 17% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 4 | 6% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 3 | 5% |
Psychology | 3 | 5% |
Other | 13 | 20% |
Unknown | 15 | 23% |