Eye to Eye: Why MDs Don’t See Things The Same Way We Do, Assisted Suicide Case Study

You probably don’t need to be told that your physician (praying that you have one you go to regularly), and you don’t see exactly the same when it comes to decisions to be made about our overall health. He or she says you should cut down on red meat. You, of course, in the heat of the doctor’s office, solemnly agree, after all, this is your doctor and he or she has read the literature and is giving you this advice from a socially constructed position of authority. Yet you still find yourself ordering that extra side of bacon, and probably drinking or smoking a little more than we should. You put it off as manageable. As the physician said one thing, but you interpret it the other. But of course, that’s the nature of many relationships of patient and physician in the United States. To the frustration of our caretakers, we often don’t exactly follow through on what we’ve been told. But that’s another monster in itself of compliance. I’m looking at the issue of when we fundamentally disagree on a decision to be made, even if it is one that you are not having to carry out yourself.

An issue I’ve encountered in my research is that, in more complicated and less clear scenarios, such as the decision of pursuing assisted suicide by a physician, you would think that for such a momentous decision, doctors and patients may come to the same conclusion about what is necessary. But this is not the case, almost never is are attitudes towards end of life care from caretakers and patients the same. My question is, why? Why exactly don’t we agree, and what factors influence that?

I have found research that has shown that even physicians who specialize in end of care life, such as oncologists, palliative care physicians, and emergency medicine specialists, often highly disagree with a patient pursuing assisted suicide, even if the patient is in unremitting pain, suffering, or is physically degrading? Now let’s run over a course of potentially, why this could occur. Is this selfish by the physician? Are they simply looking for more ways to treat you, and rack up a bill? Are they unable to empathize with us as patients because they are not in that position themselves? Is it fundamentally wrong for them to have attitudes against our decisions we make as patients?

Now, I’m seeking to answer this question through my research. But I have some ideas of my own. I do not believe that physicians are any of these things: greedy, selfish, or unsympathetic (most, that is). I believe that physicians understand alternative avenues of care to a much higher degree than we laypeople do. I believe that physicians are inherently respecting the rights of people who wish to die, but they offer alternatives. And not all alternatives are fundamentally against a patient’s wish to die: physicians can even offer alternative ways to die. Yes, really. A physician has accounted for this. That is why when we ask does a physician agree with assisting in some form of suicide, and we find that a majority don’t, we shouldn’t be up in arms. Because that is a loaded question to a physician. If they say no, they will be labeled selfish and unable to respect the right to die of patients. If they say yes, people will worry that they are quick to “pull the trigger” because the option is there, and panic that physicians will somehow always keep assisted suicide as an option in their treatment plan, against the patient’s will. But that’s simply not true. There is much much more that goes into a prognosis and treatment plan than we are able to see as people who are completely disconnected from the situation.

For example, many physicians have published papers in regards to what causes people to pursue choosing a form of assisted suicide. Depression, unremitting pain, and hopelessness are often key factors. Are these treatable? In every single sense, yes they are. A physician has the job to cherish and protect life, but also to cherish and protect you and your autonomy as a patient. If you wish to choose an avenue to die, a physician might offer an alternative to an injection or round of lethal medication. Modern medicine offers such powerful and effective treatments, physicians often note how patients can simply refuse to eat or drink, and under heavy medication, may pass away peacefully. Equally, patients could live the remainder of their days without treatment (assuming the illness is terminally ill), again, in peace and being able to spend extra time with their family. Patients also should be in the mindset to make a decision which is best for them. Hopelessness, depression, and severe anxiety, completely prevent this. And physicians lament the fact that they are often restricted in attempting to persuade a severely depressed patient away from assisted suicide.

I’ve given broad, broad strokes of a larger issue. But the point I’m wishing to make here is that we, as we should with all of our lives, never be rash to judge or arrive at judgement. There are often many complex factors that go into the decision process of those around us, especially our caretakers of our health.

After all, physicians take an oath to preserve life, and to live and love their profession. I believe that we need to trust that they will do this more often than we think.

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