Current events and bioethical concerns in physician-assisted death.

ABSTRACT

In June 1997, the Supreme Court of the United States found that the Constitution does not guarantee a right to physician-assisted suicide, thereby allowing states the opportunity to variously prohibit or permit such practice. The Court's findings notwithstanding, physician-assisted death remains a topic of intense medical, legal and philosophical discussion. Principled discourse variously supports both an ethical prohibition against assisted death and an ethical obligation to help some patients achieve death. Both theoretical and practical concerns are raised by the practice of physician-assisted death. This essay reviews recent events and developments concerning assisted suicide and euthanasia. The discussion which follows was generated by the members of the Committee on Bioethical Issues of the Medical Society of the State of New York and builds upon a previous Committee report.