Emergency physicians and physician-assisted suicide, Part I: a review of the physician-assisted suicide debate.
Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) has been one of the most hotly debated bioethics and health policy issues of the past decade. Part I of this 2-part article defines key terms in the debate, reviews the history of the debate, and articulates leading arguments for and against legalization of the practice of PAS. Part II of the article will examine the role of emergency physicians in caring for patients who present to the emergency department after an incomplete or unsuccessful attempt at PAS.
Moskop
J C
JC
Department of Medical Humanities, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA. moskopj@mail.ecu.edu
Iserson
K V
KV
D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States