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Definition
Euthanasia is broadly defined as the practice of ending a life as a means of relieving pain and suffering. Assisted suicide refers to actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. Despite the fact that physician assisted suicide (PAS) is illegal in most of the states in the USA, medical practitioners often receive requests from patients and their families to perform euthanasia, and many clinicians honor these requests. The reasons for these requests have not been well studied, but it appears that it involves a complex combination of physical and psychosocial symptoms and concerns. Euthanasia is currently legal in a small number of US states (Montana, Oregon, and Washington) and a limited number of European countries. The American College of Medical Quality (2001) has published guidelines for physicians confronted with a patient’s request for physician-assisted suicide.
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References and Readings
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Kilbourn, K., Madore, S. (2013). Euthanasia. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1399
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1399
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