I believe that competent adults who are either terminally ill (i.e. medically predicted to die within six months) or who have severely decreased quality of life (i.e. quadriplegics, patients with advanced alzheimer's, etc) should have the right to request and self-administer (or be administered in cases where self-administration is not possible) lethal medication prescribed by a physician. In order to qualify for end of life treatment, the patient would have to:

* be an adult of 18 years or older

* be mentally competent as verified by two physicians (or referred to a mental health evaluation)

* be terminally ill or have severely decrease quality of life as verified by two physicians.

* make three, independent, voluntary oral requests, without coercion, as verified by two physicians

* make two, independent, voluntary, written requests, without coercion, as verified by two physicians

* be informed of all other options including palliative and hospice care

* wait 10 day between each oral request

* wait two weeks between the first written request and the second written request

* wait 48 hour between the second written request and the writing of the prescription

* be aware of their right to change their mind at any time and rescind the request

* have the written requests signed by two independent witnesses, at least one of whom is not related to the patient or employed by the health care facility

I believe that advanced health care directives should have the legal power to grant patients the right to terminate their life should the individual become terminally ill or have severely decreased quality of life and be unable to communicate their own wishes (e.g. quadriplegics in a coma, patients with advanced alzheimer's, etc). In order for an advanced health care directive to specify and grant end of life treatment, the patient would have to:

* be an adult of 18 years or older

* be mentally competent as verified by two physicians (or referred to a mental health evaluation)

* be aware of their right to rescind the directive at any time li>
* be terminally ill or has severely decrease quality of life as verified by two physicians

* be unable to communicate their own wishes as verified by two physicians

* make three, independent, voluntary written directives, without coercion

* wait two weeks between each written directive

* be aware of the right to specify treatment plan (i.e. waiting period until dose is administered, whether artificial life-support is used and for how long, whether decision is left up to the patient's health care proxy, etc).

* be aware of their right to change their mind at any time and rescind the request

* each written directive is signed by two independent witnesses, at least one of whom is not related to the patient or employed by the individuals primary physician or legal counsel

I believe that physicians should be required to discuss advance health care directives with their patients as part of their routine care. This discussion would not be legally binding but rather an information session to discussion end of life options with the patient.

I believe that any patient/physician that accurately follows a patients advanced health care directive or end of life treatment request (provided they qualify as outlined above) should receive immunity from criminal and civil prosecution.

I do not believe that physicians should be legally required to personally administer (in cases where self-administration is not possible) lethal medication if it violates their individual belief system. However, I do believe that physicians should be required to do everything within their power to ensure that the patients advanced health care directives are followed (i.e. find another physician that will agree to administer the medication).

This completely makes sense in my book.

(07-13-2010 04:30 PM)animus Wrote:  This completely makes sense in my book.

Seconded. Its a highly personal decision that the government oughta stay out of.

Just out of curiosity, did anyone realize that Dr. Jack Kevorkian is running for Congress?

(07-21-2010 01:12 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  Just out of curiosity, did anyone realize that Dr. Jack Kevorkian is running for Congress?

In Oregon I believe. Honestly, he's not the crazy person many think he is.

No. He isn't. But the religious lunatics in this nation can't see that...

(07-21-2010 07:03 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  No. He isn't. But the religious lunatics in this nation can't see that...

the religious lunatics also object to the separation of church and state. they so desparately want to turn this country into a christian (not judeo-christian. that's a made up word to get the jews on the side of the christians) like taliban of the western world.

the government should stay out of people's private lives. if someone makes a decision that doesn't affect anyone else the government has no business getting involved. these so-called religious right people are nothing more than big government liberals topped off by the fact that they are too stupid, wrapped up in their own , or both that they can't see that.

i think a lot of us are better conservatives than the conservatives are.