Task Force: Medical Board & Euthanasia

Congratulations!

You have been working for the hospital board at a local hospital for five years! At your latest board meeting, members brought up a discussion about euthanasia and have given you a few days to outline a plan for how your hospital will allow doctors to perform euthanasia. 

 Why Are We Doing This?

Euthanasia, the process of painlessly killing a patient that is suffering from a terrible disease or is in a coma, is illegal in most countries. The process is legal in around nine states in the United States. There are various debates about when a doctor should be allowed to perform euthanasia as well as the role family members should play in the involvement of euthanasia of their loved ones. Here, we ask you to answer some of these questions in the discussion about euthanasia and outline a plan for how your hospital will address the issue. 

Steps:

1. Before you begin, research information about euthanasia in the states that it is legal. Consider how many people have chosen euthanasia, the role family members play legally, etc. 
2. Then, try to come up with a plan for when you believe a doctor should perform euthanasia.
   1. What diseases should euthanasia be allowed for?
   2. Does age matter?
   3. What legal role will family members play in making the decision?
   4. How will you justify your decisions?
3. Think through the possible objections about your plan that someone might have.
4. Share with the group and see if you can convince them that your plan for euthanasia best considers the various needs and wants of your patients.

Things to Keep in Mind:

•  You do not have to come up with an exhaustive list of guidelines for your plan. Choose a few that you are prepared to defend.
• Try to research information about ongoing discussions about when euthanasia should be performed.