Human Anatomy and Physiology

The right-to-die is a concept stating that a patient with a terminal illness should have the choice to voluntarily end his or her life. Some see this as a humane way to die with dignity, while others condemn this idea.

Patients in the entire United States can currently choose to refuse life-saving or life-extending treatments through an advanced directive, but only a handful of states allow physician-assisted suicide. Each of these states has enacted slightly different laws, but most allow physicians to prescribe a lethal medication that a patient self-administers. Address the following questions in your post.

• In your opinion, should competent adults have the right to choose physician-assisted suicide?
• Should physician-assisted suicide be legal in every state?
• How should we define the term “terminal illness?”
• Is physician-assisted suicide ethically different than a patient refusing treatment?
• Is it ethical to allow patients to suffer if they wish to end their life?