Category: Moral Reasoning
Principe du double effet
Double Effect
Six questions about physician-assisted death, from a conscientious objector
National Post
Canadian policy makers have recently proposed to require all doctors to provide an effective referral for physician-assisted death (PAD) upon the patient’s request. Forcing doctors to knowingly send their patient to another doctor willing to cause the patient’s death will seriously compromise the moral integrity of conscientiously objecting doctors and risks undermining the quality of patient care. To understand the position of conscientiously objecting doctors, consider the following questions.
1. Should doctors provide physician-assisted death merely because it is legal?
2. Must all doctors accept the assumptions underpinning the claim that physician-assisted death is good medical care?
3. If physician-assisted death remained illegal, would doctors be legally liable for making an effective referral?
4. Does the Charter right of Freedom of Conscience apply to doctors?
5. How does respect for conscientious objection affect patient care?
6. Will respect for conscientious objection obstruct access to physician-assisted death?
(For the author’s answers, see the full text)
The Health Care Professional as Person: The Place of Conscience
Canadian Catholic Bioethics Centre
Bioethics Matters
Recently I was asked to present “the Catholic position” on physician-assisted death as part of a panel discussion held at a downtown Toronto hospital. The purpose of the event was not to debate the issue but to educate participants about various points of view. I ran into some difficulty when I was discussing the Catholic Church’s interest in protecting the consciences of health care staff. One panelist immediately redirected our attention to the needs of the patient seeking physician-assisted death and the conversation left the health care professionals behind. In this short article, I would like to bring the focus back to the doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, therapists, in short, to the health care staff involved in patient care and who may have objections to performing or assisting in physician-assisted death.. . . Full Text