The Task Force has also concluded that the legal prohibitions against euthanasia and intentional or reckless suicide assistance provide valuable guidance for professional standards of conduct. The medical profession should not simply restate legal principles in setting professional standards on these sensitive issues. By addressing these concepts in ways that are relevant to concerns that routinely arise in clinical practice, the medical profession can assist physicians who care for seriously and terminally ill patients and enhance the care provided to these patients. The principles identified by the Task Force are set forth below. The Task Force believes that these principles will offer important guidance for physicians while respecting the need for professional judgment in formulating treatment recommendations.
Physicians have a professional obligation to provide appropriate pain relief and palliative care.
Physicians have a professional obligation to assess and treat depression or refer patients for treatment. Physicians should not refrain from discussing a patient's suicidal thoughts, and indeed should explore, discuss, and respond to a patient's indications of suicidal thinking. This is an important aspect of care and also may facilitate prevention of suicide. Physicians should not perform euthanasia or assist a patient to commit suicide. However, the provision of medication that may hasten a patient's death is ethically and professionally acceptable, provided the medication is not intended to cause the patient's death or to assist the patient to commit suicide, and the medication is provided in accord with accepted medical standards.