Models of physician-assisted dying.

Abstract

Repeated surveys have shown that more than 70% of Americans support physician aid in dying for terminally ill mentally competent adults. Recent polls of physicians in Oregon and Michigan demonstrate majority support of those doctors for such a law while 25% of physicians surveyed in Washington admitted to already providing help. Models of how that would work have been spelled out in proposed legislation in the United States since 1988, other models come from the Northern Territory in Australia, from Holland, and from Jack Kevorkian's writing and actions as well as from other writers such as Dr Timothy Quill.