PHYSICIANS
REVIEW THE COMPLETE
THE DEATH-PLANNING RECORDS
Once most of the other safeguards have been fulfilled,
there will be a collection of written documents
that should be reviewed and responded to by all the physicians
who are involved in the terminal care of the patient.
In addition, there might be other written statements
that it would be relevant for the physicians to read and respond to.
These include, but are not limited to the following:
A statement
from the psychological consultant
that the patient is mentally able to make all medical decisions,
including life-ending decisions.
A statement
from the institutional ethics committee
that they also have reviewed the death-planning record
and found that death at this time is the wisest course of action. Statements
from hospital or hospice staff
recording their observations and views of the death-planning process.
The physician who is over-seeing the death-planning
process
will specify exactly which documents he or she has reviewed,
including the date of each document, who signed it, etc.
And this physician shall write at least a brief response to each
document.
Then the physician primarily responsible for the
terminal care of the patient
will add his or her final analysis of the whole process,
ending with a recommendation either for further treatment and
exploration of medical options
or with a recommendation that a life-ending decision is the best course
of action.
If more than one doctor is deeply involved in the
death-planning process,
any additional doctors should also write their responses to the
documents collected.
HOW THE DOCTORS' WRITTEN RESPONSES TO THE DEATH-PLANNING RECORDS
WILL DISCOURAGE IRRATIONAL SUICIDE
AND OTHER FORMS OF PREMATURE DEATH
When the doctors involved in terminal care
review the written records of the death-planning process,
they will be in the final stages of the patient's life.
If there was any reason to worry about irrational suicide,
it would have been disclosed in some of the documents created by others.
And everyone concerned will take whatever actions they find appropriate
to prevent the patient from harming himself or herself.
Likewise, these terminal-care doctors will be aware
of the distortions
and abuses
that might be perpetrated under the color of the right-to-die.
And they will take whatever actions they find appropriate
to prevent any possible premature death.
Once the dangers of irrational suicide
and other forms of premature death have been ruled out,
and if the patient and/or the proxies agree
that death at this time
is better than death at some
later time,
then the most appropriate life-ending decisions can be made.