Observations on the first year of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act.
Using data from the files of Compassion in Dying, we describe 34 individuals who approached Compassion wanting to use the Death with Dignity Act and who died during the first year of the Act's implementation. Of these 34, 10 died using medication prescribed under the Act. Using first-hand data from the dying individuals, their families, and their health care teams, we provide comparisons between predicted outcomes and actual experiences, discuss important elements of the physician-patient relationship, and describe several averted suicides and homicides. We also review changes in end-of-life care in Oregon and provide recommendations about issues in need of further research.
Coombs Lee
B
B
Compassion in Dying Federation, 6312 SW Capitol Highway #415, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA. BCoombsLee@aol.com
Werth
J L
JL
D003142:Communication; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005190:Family; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D007883:Legislation, Medical; D016743:Mental Competency; D009922:Oregon; D010146:Pain; D010166:Palliative Care; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013727:Terminal Care; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors