Physician-assisted suicide: a double dilemma.

Abstract

The ethical dilemma posed by the conflicts around physician-assisted suicide require at least three criteria that must be passed as a prerequisite for contemplating assisting someone toward death. 1) The request to die must not stem from a treatable depression. 2) The request must not stem from treatable discomfort, symptoms, and pain. 3) The exploration of the request to die must take place within the context of a relationship between physician and patient of some duration, depth, and intimacy. The moral dilemma posed by such a request also taps into the value system of the physician, which requires exploration and definition. Only then can the request be treated with the seriousness it deserves.