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The question of whether and under what circumstances terminally ill patients should be able to access life-ending medications with the aid of a physician is receiving increasing attention as a matter of public opinion and of public policy. Ethicists, clinicians, patients, and their families debate whether physician-assisted death ought to be a legal option for patients. While public opinion is divided and public policy debates include moral, ethical, and policy considerations, a demand for physician-assisted death persists among some patients, and the inconsistent legal terrain leaves a number of questions and challenges for health care providers to navigate when presented with patients considering or requesting physician-assisted death.

About the publication: The National Academies Press (NAP) publishes the publications of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. NAP publishes more than 200 publications per year on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, and medicine, providing authoritative, independently researched information on important matters in science and health policy.

Keywords: Terminally Ill Patients, Life-ending Medications, Physician-assisted Death, Public Opinion, Public Policy, Ethical Considerations, Moral Debate, Healthcare Providers, Legal Challenges, End-of-life Care, Medical Ethics, Physician Aid in Dying, Euthanasia, Palliative Care, Health Policy, National Academies Press, Patient Autonomy, Informed Consent, End-of-life Decisions, Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare