Requests for physician-assisted death: guidelines for assessing mental capacity and impaired judgment

Psychol Public Policy Law. 2000 Jun;6(2):348-72.

Abstract

This article fills a need in the theoretical and clinical literature by presenting a set of guidelines for assessing mental capacity and impaired judgment when a person makes a request to have physician-assisted death. Because Oregon is the only state to have a law allowing physician-assisted death, the guidelines are placed within the context of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act. A comprehensive overview of the legal and ethical issues associated with the assessment of capacity precedes the actual guidelines.

Publication types

  • Guideline
  • Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Legislation, Medical
  • Mental Competency / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Mental Competency / standards*
  • Oregon
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Suicide, Assisted / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Terminally Ill