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The medicalization of dying
1University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy
|June 1, 1993
Summary
Physician-assisted suicide, or active euthanasia, medicalizes intractable suffering. Its availability may shift focus from social caregiving needs, privatize care costs, and question the voluntariness of patient choices.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Palliative Care
- Sociology of Health
Background:
- Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and active euthanasia (AE) are increasingly discussed medical interventions.
- The needs of individuals experiencing interminable suffering require comprehensive social and personal support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze PAS/AE as a medicalization of suffering.
- To examine the potential consequences of AE availability on caregiving and patient autonomy.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of medicalization.
- Ethical and social implications of AE.
Main Results:
- AE may divert resources from essential social and personal caregiving aspects.
- The availability of AE could lead to the privatization of caregiving costs.
- Concerns arise regarding the voluntariness of decisions made by individuals seeking AE.
Conclusions:
- AE risks overshadowing the complex social and personal dimensions of end-of-life care.
- The focus on AE may undermine caregiver support and patient autonomy.
- Further consideration of social support systems is crucial for individuals with intractable suffering.
Keywords:
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