Death And Medical Power An Ethical Analysis Of Dutch Euthanasia Practice

How have Dutch debates on end-of-life care developed so differently from most other countries, finally resulting in the legalization of euthanasia? What are the relevant legal, medical and ethical dimensions of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide? What lessons can be learned from the Dutch experience with euthanasia? In all modern countries a good death and relief of suffering are important issues of public debate. The bioethical debate in the Netherlands is unique since it has been focusing on the issue of euthanasia for more than thirty years. This book describes the debate, explains its origins, and analyses its development, resulting in the legislation of euthanasia. It also presents data on the medical practice of euthanasia with examples of cases. Death and Medical Power details the evolution as well as the complexities of the legal responses to physician involvement in euthanasia. The authors analyze the ethical debate concerning euthanasia, discussing the pros and cons of medical termination of human life. The book concludes with a section on the lessons to be learned from the Dutch experience. This unique study will be of relevance to all clinicians and other professionals involved in end-of-life care, to health policy makers and educators, as well as anybody else interested in the ethics of euthanasia.

This text describes the debate on euthanasia in the Netherlands, explains its origins and analyses its developments. Ethical issues about the pros and cons of medical termination of human life are run throughout the text.

This book is the first comprehensive report and analysis of the Dutch euthanasia experience over the last three decades. In contrast to most books about euthanasia, which are written by authors from countries where the practice is illegal and therefore practiced only secretly, this book analyzes empirical data and real-life clinical behavior. Its essays were written by the leading Dutch scholars and clinicians who shaped euthanasia policy and who have studied, evaluated, and helped regulate it. Some of them have themselves practiced euthanasia. The book will contribute to the world literature on physician-assisted death by providing a comprehensive examination of how euthanasia has been practiced and how it has evolved in one specific national and cultural context. It will greatly advance the understanding of euthanasia among both advocates and opponents of the practice.

The Dutch experience has influenced the debate on euthanasia and death with dignity around the globe, especially with regard to whether physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia should be legitimized or legalized. A review of the literature reveals complex and often contradictory views about the Dutch experience. Some claim that the Netherlands offers a model for the world to follow; others believe that the Netherlands represents danger, rather than promise, and that the Dutch experience is the definitive answer regarding why we should not make active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide part of our lives. Given these contradictory views, it has become clear that fieldwork is essential to developing a more informed opinion. Having investigated the Dutch experience for a number of years, and after thoroughly reading the vast literature published in English, I went to the Netherlands for one month in the summer of 1999 to get a feel for the local situation. I felt that this would provide the basis on which I could better interpret the findings of the available literature. I visited the major centers of medical ethics, as well as some research hospitals, and spoke with leading figures in the euthanasia policy and practice. The time spent was extremely beneficial and enriching. I followed in the footsteps of Carlos Gomez, who 1 published a book following one month of extensive research in the Netherlands.

The Dutch experience with euthanasia is valuable for all cultures embroiled in debates about its morality. In the Netherlands, doctors can openly and intentionally end the life of their patients. This practice inescapably influences the practice of medicine everywhere in the world. Yet for a country yielding so much power in shaping our thoughts and policies, it is especially dangerous to neglect its own struggles with euthanasia. The arguments, laws, and policy adjustments should not be overlooked or misunderstood. Without an adequate portrait of the internal Dutch debate, including public and professional arguments as well as intensely personal stories - as set forth in Asking to Die - the valuable lessons from the Netherlands will be lost for other countries. This book therefore differs from other published books on euthanasia in that it addresses the debate, as it is currently formulated, among Dutch physicians, policy-makers, academics, lawyers, and bioethicists, as well as families, and it does so using academic papers as well as personal experiences.

L.W. Sumner explores the ethical and legal status of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, and argues powerfully that these forms of assisted death can claim the same justification as other widely accepted end-of-life practices. He surveys the opposing views and legal precedents, and develops a model regulatory policy for assisted death.

Resource added for the Psychology (includes Sociology) 108091 courses.

Public policy surrounding the hotly debated issue of physician-assisted suicide is examined in detail. You’ll find an analysis of the current legal standing and practice of physician-assisted suicide in several countries. Authors discuss the ethical principles underlying its legal and professional regulation. Personal narratives provide important first-hand accounts from professionals who have been involved in end-of-life issues for many years.