title: Physician-assisted suicide and palliative care: beliefs and empiricism in the policy debate.
abstract: This article provides a brief overview of recent research on the practice of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in Connecticut. In addition, the article examines recent empirical evidence about the role of depression in patients' end-of-life decisions, and synthesizes relevant literature on the relationship between PAS and palliative care in the context of recent experience in Oregon.
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Harold I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Curry
mesh_terms: D003237:Connecticut; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D009922:Oregon; D010166:Palliative Care; D017236:Suicide, Assisted; D019452:Terminally Ill