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Euthanasia

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Pros and Cons by Issue
Issue: Advance Directives
       Living Wills
          Q:  What is an advance directive?
          Q:  What is a living will?
          Q:  Are living wills a good idea?
          Q:  What is a health care power of attorney?
          Q:  Is the health care power of attorney sufficient on its own?
Issue: End-of-Life Medical Care
       Palliative Care
          Q:  What is palliative care?
          Q:  Would legalizing euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide undermine the quality of palliative care that patients receive?
          Q:  Would improving palliative care get rid of patient requests for aid-in-dying?
       Futility
          Q:  What is medical futility?
          Q:  Are futility policies good for patients?
          Q:  What is a Do-Not-Resuscitate order (DNR)?
          Q:  Do Do-Not-Resuscitate orders endanger patients?
          Q:  Do euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide ensure a good death?
          Q:  How common is it for physicians to participate in physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, despite the legal prohibition against them?
          Q:  Should euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide only be allowed for the terminally ill?
       Ethical Concerns
          Q:  Would legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide destroy patient trust in the medical profession?
          Q:  Is a physician ever obligated to help a patient die?
          Q:  What is the medical definition of death?
       Hippocratic Oath
          Q:  Do euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide violate the Hippocratic Oath?
          Q:  Why do patients request physician-assisted death (a.k.a. physician-assisted suicide)?