The physician who is primarily responsible
for
supervising the care of the patient
issues a written statement explaining all relevant aspects
of the
patient's physical condition,
with special attention to the facts that are likely to lead to death.
The physician includes a good faith estimate
of the
likely course of the patient's current condition
if the patient continues to receive
all presently-provided supportive
and medical treatments and care.
The physician will also include a good faith estimate
of the likely
course of the patient's condition
if each of the significant forms of life-support and treatment
presently in use is discontinued.
And if additional forms of life-support and treatment might be relevant,
the physician should also include the likely impact of such medical
choices.
Copies of this physician's statement of condition
and prognosis
shall be provided to all persons who have a legitimate interest
in the
medical care of the patient.
But copies shall not
be made available
to the general public or to the news media.
When and if the patient's condition changes
significantly,
the physician then having primary responsibility for the care of the
patient
shall issue a new
written statement of the patient's condition and
prognosis.
This new statement might take the form of additional facts and
projections
added to the original statement of condition and prognosis.
HOW THE DOCTOR'S WRITTEN STATEMENT OF CONDITION AND PROGNOSIS
DISCOURAGES IRRATIONAL SUICIDE AND OTHER FORMS OF PREMATURE DEATH
Sometimes patients and/or their families panic
when they receive a bleak diagnosis.
They might begin to believe that death is imminent
when there are still several months or even years
remaining in the
possible life-span of the patient.
Sometimes patients and their families do not fully understand
what has
been told to them only verbally.
When the patient and the family have a written statement
of the
patient's condition and prognosis,
they can more calmly consider the facts and the possibilities.
And they can ask for further elaboration and explanation
of some parts of the physician's statement they do not fully
understand.
Complete information is essential for making wise medical decisions.
Requiring a physician's statement will clearly show
that irrational suicides seldom have anything to do with any real
medical conditions.
Most suicidal persons will not ask for a written statement from any
doctor.
This safeguard will not
prevent most suicidal people from killing
themselves,
but it will prevent them from using the medical system
as a cover for
their irrational acts of self-killing.
And if some suicidal people ask for a physician's statement
of their
condition and prognosis, some of them will discover
that they do not have
as serious a medical
condition
as they might have believed in their darkest moments.
When patients and/or their proxies make medical
decisions
based on an imperfect grasp
of the medical facts and prognosis,
they might choose what would turn out to be a premature death.
A clear statement of the patient's condition and prognosis
will be the foundation of any and all future medical decisions.
If proxies want to shorten the process of dying for
their own
selfish reasons,
the primary physician's written statement of condition and prognosis
will be evidence against their harmful decision for death.
The proxies will not be able to claim
that they had a different view of the condition and prognosis of the
patient.
Anyone who is guilty of causing a premature death
will not be able falsely to claim their action was supported
by the physician's statement of condition and prognosis.
Thus, the physician's analysis of the patient's medical condition
will prevent at least some decisions
that would have resulted in a premature death.
And if the primary physician is required to write
a prescription
for a gentle poison,
the physician will not do so unless he or she is convinced that a
chosen death
is the best option for the patient given all the medical facts.
Created January 14,
2007; revised 3-18-2007; 3-5-2008