Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Are Compatible with Palliative Care and Are Not Rendered Redundant by It
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21598465 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Thomas David Riisfeldt (0000-0001-5949-5915, UNSW Sydney, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 254-262 |
| Publication date | 2023-04-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0963-1801 • E-ISSN: 1469-2147 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0963180122000706 |
| PMID | 36693814 |
| OpenAlex | W4317876148 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 8 |
It is often argued by health professionals working within the field of palliative care that palliative care and euthanasia/assisted suicide are incompatible. Across the literature, this claim is grounded on the three claims that (1) palliative care and euthanasia/assisted suicide have different aims, (2) euthanasia/assisted suicide is at odds with the doctor’s fundamental role as a healer, and (3) euthanasia/assisted suicide constitutes patient abandonment. Furthermore, even if palliative care and euthanasia/assisted suicide are compatible, it is often argued that the availability of palliative care renders euthanasia/assisted suicide redundant. This depends on two claims that (1) palliative care is always available and effective, and (2) palliative care is always preferable to euthanasia/assisted suicide. This article argues that all of these claims are false, ultimately aiming to establish that palliative care and euthanasia/assisted suicide are complementary rather than mutually exclusive
Assisted suicide · Palliative care · Political science · Psychiatry · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Law · Medicine · Nursing · Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues · Patient Dignity and Privacy · Psychology
| Highly cited | No |
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