Requests for physician-assisted death: guidelines for assessing mental capacity and impaired judgment.
This article fills a need in the theoretical and clinical literature by presenting a set of guidelines for assessing mental capacity and impaired judgment when a person makes a request to have physician-assisted death. Because Oregon is the only state to have a law allowing physician-assisted death, the guidelines are placed within the context of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act. A comprehensive overview of the legal and ethical issues associated with the assessment of capacity precedes the actual guidelines.
Werth
J L
JL
Department of Psychology, Third Floor, Polsky Building, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, USA. jwerth@uakron.edu
Benjamin
G A H
GA
Farrenkopf
T
T
D006801:Humans; D007883:Legislation, Medical; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards*; D009922:Oregon; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D019452:Terminally Ill