In your own words (not copy/paste from Copilot or ChatGPT), please discuss the following:
• What is the difference between Physician-assisted suicide and Euthanasia
• Present your stance on whether terminally ill individuals should have the right to ask for physician-assisted suicide (Support your position with at least three arguments. These can include ethical considerations, legal precedents, personal autonomy, quality of life, and potential societal impacts).
• Describe issues for health service managers as it relates to physician assisted suicide. Identify a state law (USA) to support or oppose this service.
Sample Answer
Physician-Assisted Suicide vs. Euthanasia
In my own words, the core difference between physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and euthanasia lies in who performs the final act.
Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS): In PAS, the physician provides a terminally ill, mentally competent patient with the means to end their own life – typically a prescription for a lethal dose of medication. The crucial point is that the patient themselves self-administers the medication. The physician's role is to provide the method, not to directly administer it. It's often referred to as "medical aid in dying" or "physician-assisted dying" in jurisdictions where it's legal.
Euthanasia: In euthanasia, the physician (or another medical professional) directly administers the lethal substance to the patient. The physician performs the action that causes the patient's death. This means the patient does not take the final action themselves. Euthanasia can be voluntary (with patient consent), non-voluntary (patient incapacitated, but prior wishes known or based on best interest), or involuntary (without consent, which is illegal and unethical). When people discuss "euthanasia" in the context of end-of-life choices, they typically refer to voluntary euthanasia.
So, the distinction boils down to who delivers the fatal blow: the patient in PAS, the physician in euthanasia.
My Stance on the Right to Physician-Assisted Suicide for Terminally Ill Individuals
My stance, from an ethical and autonomy-focused perspective, is that terminally ill individuals, under strict safeguards, should have the right to request physician-assisted suicide (medical aid in dying). This position is rooted in respecting individual dignity and mitigating suffering at the very end of life.