ABSTRACT
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.
Subject(s)
Suicide, Assisted/legislation & jurisprudence , Suicide, Assisted/statistics & numerical data , Communication , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Family , Homicide , Humans , Legislation, Medical , Mental Competency , Oregon , Pain , Palliative Care , Physician-Patient Relations , Stress, Psychological , Terminal Care , Terminally Ill/statistics & numerical data , Time FactorsABSTRACT
This reaction article begins by differentiating the authors' data from the official Oregon Health Division Report on the Death with Dignity Act and then provides comments in response to each of the authors/teams who analyzed the original article. The authors use this opportunity to clear up some apparent misunderstandings, to highlight commonalities, and to emphasize a few fundamental differences of opinion.
