The Death Doula: Proposing An Assisted Suicide Assistant
Nora Zamichow and Dr. Ken Murray write in the LA Times that it is time to rethink what we think of as the Hippocratic oath -- "Do no harm" -- when it comes to terminally ill patients who want to end their lives:
Let's agree that by doing no intentional harm, we expect doctors to respect an individual's desire to live. But what if that individual, like Brittany Maynard, has a terminal disease that doctors predict will result in a painful death? Which causes more harm: forcing the terminally ill to suffer and live or allowing them to die without pain?Most Americans support the idea of allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives, according to two recent polls. And physician-assisted suicide is legal in several states.
...What if we created another class of medical professionals known as death doulas, who could fill a gap between treatment doctors and hospice workers?
During childbirth, some women engage a doula to act as their advocate, ensuring that, as much as possible, the woman's wishes are followed. Such a position could also be created to oversee the end of life for the terminally ill.
Most of us know how easy it is to lose one's footing stepping in a hospital. Sometimes, it's because of unforeseen medical events. Other times, it may be a disagreement on how to proceed in a complicated case. A death doula's job would include ensuring, to the extent possible, that a patient's stated desires are obeyed.
And if we are squeamish about doctors "violating" their ethics and prescribing lethal medication for the terminally ill who request it, we could shift this responsibility to licensed doulas, after physicians certify they can no longer help the patient.
O.M.G. Death panels. Doesn't doula sound vaguely Muslim. Is this the lefty L A Times promoting cost control for Obamacare? O.M.G. Help!Help!
Canvasback at December 29, 2014 8:51 AM
What if we created another class of medical professionals known as death doulas, who could fill a gap between treatment doctors and hospice workers?
From the quote, it's not clear to me what problem the establishment of death doulas is supposed to solve. Are we (whatever "we" constitutes) really squeamish about doctors prescribing lethal medication? If so, how does passing the responsiblity to someone else alleviate the squeamishness? And even if we accept that under certain circumstances assisted suicide is appropriate, shouldn't we still be a little uncomfortable prescribing it?
Old RPM Daddy (OldRPMDaddy at GMail dot com) at December 29, 2014 9:45 AM
I can't even begin to tell you how many elderly, dementia-suffering, bedridden patients we have sent to us in the ICU because, absent a legal document otherwise, we have to do everything we can to keep them breathing in that bed as long as possible. It's enough to make you want to become the next Dr Kavorkian. Do I think we should be able to say "this person has demetia, lethal dose for them!"? Nope. That should be up to the individual and the family to decide. But there has to be a middle ground, where we alleviate suffering and allow nature to take it's course when there is no life being lived.
It's also shocking how many people do not accept, in any way whatsoever, that they are in fact going to die someday, and they need to think about how they want it to go. It's like when people write their wills and say "if I die". Um, yeah, you're going to die. Guaranteed. Put at least a fraction as much time thinking and planning for it as most people do their engagements nowadays, and life would be much better for those of us in the medical field.
momof4 at December 30, 2014 6:39 PM
Make this a private, uncompensated position subject to legal advertising and immune from prosecution:
"Be ye notified that John Doe has been duly elected the mortal second of one Joe Sixpack, of Anywhere County, as said Joe Sixpack hereby publishes his intent to end his life by his own method of choosing. John Doe shall have this task as his exclusive duty, and shall not be otherwise associated with the estate, nor shall he be compensated thereby. The Sixpack estate desires that John Doe receive all possible support in the performance of his solemn duty and holds him totally harmless in finalizing the demise of their Joe."
Commercial and public agencies cannot, by their very nature, have the individual's cause as their priority. It's just not possible.
Radwaste at December 31, 2014 1:27 PM
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