The article ‘Attitudes and Practices of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide in the United States, Canada, and Europe'
The article ‘Attitudes and Practices of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide in the United States, Canada, and Europe' delves into the contentious debate of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. The article is informative on the public and physician attitudes on Euthanasia but fails to account for the real reasons why the patients choose to end their lives.
The title of the article
The title of the article is specific as it majorly narrows itself to the topic of study. It helps the audience understand the scope of the research and thus stay informed within the bounds of the survey (Emanuel et al. 2016).
The purpose of the study
The study focuses mainly on regions with a history of the practice of euthanasia. The purpose of the study is made clear enough offering no illusions as to the expected findings and following conclusions of the study. The study strongly lays the foundation by examining case studies of incidents involving euthanasia including the legal perspectives that led to the legalization of euthanasia. Furthermore, the abstract is concise and provides an adequate overview of the article. In light of these considerations, the article is well articulated.
The articles cited in the article
The articles cited in the article are pertinent to the objectives of the study. The author has extensively referred to various articles which are quite informative and of varied disciplines in the medical ethics field (Emanuel et al. 2016). The articles are drawn from a pool of vast resource that helps build a clear picture of the research. However, as much as most of the source are informative, some are irrelevant especially those from government sources that provide statistics. The data from statistics is essential in determining trends on the shift towards acceptance of euthanasia, but some may be manipulated or distorted to suit a particular perception. Therefore, the literature cited should have been filtered to find the most pertinent.
The ethical aspect of euthanasia
The article puts too much emphasis on the perception or attitudes of people towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide and provides little information on the reasons for needing the procedure. The article thus deals with the ethical aspect as most people’s opinions are shaped by ethical considerations rather than medical reasons. The studies approach singles out physicians and people's views but doesn't give much attention to the patients' rights (Emanuel et al. 2016). Additionally, it is important to note that finding out why the patents opt for the procedure is challenging since it is closely guarded secret by the family. The article mentions that most of those who prefer euthanasia are cancer patients, so it is easy to conclude that though the pain has been denied as the cause for their decisions, it is the reason.
The shifting trends towards acceptance of euthanasia
The statistics from the various sources explicitly show the shifting trends of a shift in opinions from anti-euthanasia to pro-euthanasia since the year 1947. The method is effective since the population and sample sizes are well represented adding to the effectiveness of the study (Emanuel et al. 2016). The statistics help the article remain objective by providing compelling facts and figures. The study, therefore, makes good use of charts and tables in presenting the article adding to the overall proper organization of the article.
In conclusion
In conclusion, the article provides invaluable insight on the changing perceptions of the public towards euthanasia and assisted suicide by physicians. It can be deduced changing understanding have led to the subsequent legalization of the procedure in some states and European nations. Despite the overemphasis on public perceptions and attitudes instead of patients’ reasons for ending their lives, the article maintains an objective stance and informs sufficiently.
Reference
Emanuel, E. J., Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B. D., Urwin, J. W., & Cohen, J. (2016). Attitudes and practices of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Jama, 316(1), 79-90.
