Statement on Physician Assisted Suicide Minnesota Hospice Organization 1600 University Ave. This statement has been prepared to assist care providers with some ethical considerations and guidelines for decision making about compassionate care of persons with terminal illness and about decisions related to euthanasia and assisted suicide. Euthanasia is an intervention performed on an individual with the specific intent to cause death.
Assisted suicide is the act of ending one's life with the assistance of another individual.
The statement and guidelines are in response to several issues that confront care providers in hospice settings. While there is great tragedy in the decline, loss of dignity and disintegration of individual persons, and hospice workers do not condemn those who choose to end their lives, there are serious concerns regarding public legitimization of active euthanasia. All decision making by individuals is carried out in a larger social structure that includes societal and public values and a network of relationships. Pain and symptom management is a major part of care for hospice patients, many of whom are cancer patients with end stage disease and profound fears of experiencing pain. Reports document inadequate treatment of cancer pain in the United States.