Physicians' decisions about patient capacity: the Trojan horse of physician-assisted suicide.
Even if all physicians follow elaborate guidelines in determining patient capacity, their judgments will remain subjective and heavily influenced by their own personal values. Capacity guidelines are the Trojan horse of physician-assisted suicide, because their appealing and reasonable character conceals the real decision-making power placed in the hands of physicians, who in reality evaluate the patient's quality of life. We should instead concentrate our efforts on a better alternative: quality palliative care for all.
Martyn
S R
SR
University of Toledo College of Law, Toledo, Ohio 43606, USA. smartyn@uoft02.utoledo.edu
Bourguignon
H J
HJ
D003068:Coercion; D003657:Decision Making; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards*; D009922:Oregon; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D019452:Terminally Ill