When patients ask about assisted suicide. A viewpoint from Oregon

The passage of the Oregon Death With Dignity Act has profound implications for the prevailing model of care for dying patients. Patients are already asking for assisted suicide. Most physicians have not been trained in evaluating these requests in a therapeutic way. We discuss the issues around the needs of dying patients and, regardless of the legal status, what to do when patients ask for a lethal dose of medication. With the tools to explore the meaning of these requests, physicians will be better able to understand and meet the needs of their dying patients.