Editorial: Montana Patient Protection Act

Description: [of the article from the Missoula Independent]

The staff of the Missoula Independent, Montana's largest weekly newspaper, are critical of the efforts of State Senator Greg Hinkle to outlaw physician-assisted suicide in Montana by introducing a Patient Protection Act (see the May 31 EuthaNEWSia, "Montana: Physician Assisted Suicide Ban Proposal"). An excerpt:

Legislators on both sides are eager to clarify the Montana Supreme Court's December ruling that gave physicians a legal defense in prescribing life-ending medication to terminally ill, mentally competent patients. Proponents point to legislation already on the books in Oregon and Washington that provides strict criteria for the practice-psychiatric evaluations, written consent observed by an impartial witness, etc. — as a good starting point for building on the court's decision.

Hinkle's talking points are, shall we say, less researched. He's claimed for weeks that physician-assisted suicide will wrongfully endanger patients who might actually survive their illness. Even patients with stable HIV and years to live could receive a prescription, he says, and he's gone on record stating that once medication is prescribed, a patient's life is out of his or her hands. Death is under the control, he says, of a doctor or family member.

Hinkle couldn't be more wrong. Physician-assisted suicide is a voluntary alternative for those suffering extreme pain or indignity at the end of life. In 2009, doctors in Oregon prescribed life-ending medication to 95 patients, only 53 of whom elected to take it. The majority of those were already in hospice care.

[There is information in the Notes section below.]
[There are other related stories in the Links section below.]

Links:

To read the full article click on one of these links, both of which go to the same destination. A short link is provided for the convenience of readers. Also, readers may search and browse past and future advisories on the web (see bottom.)

  • http://tinyurl.com/334znhw

  • http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/etc/Content?oid=1264061

    Also see:

  • Montana: Let's model Oregon's law [helenair.com]
    http://helenair.com/news/opinion/readers_alley/article_1ab289e4-72c6-11df-937d-001cc4c002e0.html
    Bob Balhiser of Helena, Montana, writes to the editors. An extract:

    I recently attended a meeting about end-of-life care issues where the speaker was Ann Jackson, former CEO of the Oregon Hospice Association. For those who don't know, Oregon is a state where physicians can legally prescribe medications that allow terminally ill patients to self-administer drugs and end their own lives.

    I took two things away from the meeting: 1) none of the fears expressed by opponents of Oregon's Right-to-Die initiative have been realized, and 2) the best benefit of the legislation, according to Oregon hospice patients, was that it assured them of a fail-safe plan to deal with the prospect of a worst-case medical condition.

  • Oregon: Care providers to discuss end of life [The Beaverton Valley Times]
    http://www.beavertonvalleytimes.com/features/story.php?story_id=127613026102160700
    Spirituality, dignity and ethereal beliefs about death will be the topic when Southminster Presbyterian Church of Beaverton hosts a panel of end-of-life experts at an evening seminar open to the public. On June 15, from 7 to 9 p.m., the church will host "Graceful Closure: Exploring End-of-Life Choices."

    The panel discussion will feature options for terminal patients and their families. The event showcases Oregon's Death with Dignity law, hospice care and the social components of terminal illnesses in Oregon with a diverse panel of specialists in end-of-life care.

    Rev. Marci Rau, an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), will discuss her work as a hospice and palliative care chaplain. Deborah Whiting Jacques, executive director of the Oregon Hospice Association, will discuss trends in Oregon and around the country, and George Eighmey, executive director of Compassion and Choices of Oregon, will represent a liberal view of control at the end of life.

Source:

"etc.". Missoula Independent. June 10, 2010. <missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/etc/Content?oid=1264061>. Missoula Independent, P.O. Box 8275, Missoula, MT 59807, U.S.A.

Tags:

Tags (or keywords) briefly indicate some major topics of the report.

  • assisted suicide

  • legislation

  • Montana

  • U.S.A.

Notes:

  • Belgium: Half do not agree to die [The Age]
    http://www.theage.com.au/world/half-do-not-agree-to-die-20100610-y0dp.html
    There is a spate of stories with headlines like this, apparently based on the story covered in the May 18th EuthaNEWSia Belgium: Euthanasia and the use of end-of-life drugs without explicit request. All the stories inform us that half of euthanasia deaths "have involved patients who did not explicitly request that their lives be ended by a doctor."

    The stories omit some information contained in that Advisory:
    Despite the lack of explicit patient request, the use of life-ending drugs was in most cases discussed with patients' families and health professional colleagues.

    'The use of life-ending drugs without explicit patient request occurs predominantly in hospital and among elderly patients who are mostly in an irreversible coma or demented,' write Dr Kenneth Chambaere, Vrije Universiteit, Brussel, and coauthors.

  • Book Review: The Maintenance of Life [World right-to-die news list]
    http://lists.opn.org/pipermail/right-to-die_lists.opn.org/2010-June/003908.html
    This is a posting by E. James Lieberman, M.D.
    The Maintenance of Life: Preventing Social Death Through Euthanasia Talk and End-of-Life Care - Lessons from the Netherlands, by Frances Norwood. Durham: Carolina Academic Press, 2009

    A psychiatrist concerned with end-of-life issues, I was fortunate to hear the author in person before buying the book. Although the best word for "good death" is almost taboo in the US. Frances Norwood puts it up front, where it is balanced by humane outcomes, echoed to some extent in Oregon and Washington now. Patients having the option gain comfort and dignity through choice in the face of a bleak future. In the Netherlands frank talks strengthen family and social ties at a crucial time, and the result is powerfully pro-life in spirit and outcome. Unfortunately U.S. physicians & nurses (and ordinary folks) are mostly tongue-tied when dying comes up. This book is a model of anthropological research with major implications for health care, psychology and philosophy.

    Frances Norwood, Ph.D. is an anthropologist. Website: inclusionresearch.org

ID:

The EuthaNEWSia ID for this advisory is: enid201006108160.
Mailed: Thursday, June 10, 2010 13:57:59 -0600
at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Etcetera:

EuthaNEWSia is a free Canadian news advisory service covering end-of-life issues such as right to die, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. EuthaNEWSia is produced by the Right to Die Society of Canada which works toward a good death for all, including open, regulated and equitable access to euthanasia and assisted suicide. The editor is Michael Dawson <editor@euthanewsia.ca>. 

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