The World Federation of Right to Die Societies

Questions & Answers

Questions and Answers: These are questions that are commonly asked of the World Federation and our member societies related to the right to die, euthanasia, assisted suicide, advance directives (living wills, etc.), the law, and related concerns.

Advance Directives

What are advance directives?
What types of advance directives are currently available?
Why are advance directives important to medical care?
Are advance directives legally binding?
When should a physician refer to a patient's advance directive?
When should a patient inform his or her physician about an advance directive?
What if a patient changes his or her mind?
What if the family disagrees with a patient's living will?
How should a physician interpret a patient's advance directive?
What are the limitations of living wills?

Assisted Suicide

What is Physician-assisted suicide (PAS)?
Is physician-assisted suicide the same as euthanasia?
Is physician-assisted suicide ethical?
What are the arguments in favor of PAS?
What are the arguments against PAS?
Is PAS illegal?
What does the medical profession think of PAS?
What do patients and the general public think of PAS?
What should a physician do if a patient asks him or her for assistance in suicide?
What if the request persists?

DNR - Questions & Answers for Patients

What is a "Do-Not-Resuscitate" (DNR) Order?
When should CPR be administered?
When can CPR be withheld?
When is CPR "futile"?
When is CPR not of benefit?
How should quality of life be considered?
If CPR is deemed "futile," should a DNR order be written?
What if CPR is not futile, but you want a DNR order?
What if the family disagrees with the DNR order?
What about "slow codes"?
What if the patient is unable to say what his/her wishes are?

Medical Futility

What are the ethical obligations of physicians when an intervention is clearly futile?
Who decides when a particular treatment is futile?
What if the patient or family requests an intervention that the health care team considers futile?
What is the difference between futility and rationing?

Termination of Life-Sustaining Treatment

Introduction
When is it justifiable to discontinue life-sustaining treatments?
How do I know if the treatment is no longer "of benefit?"
Do different standards apply to withholding and withdrawing care?
Does the patients have to be terminally ill to refuse treatment?
What if the patient is not competent?
What if I'm not sure if the patient is competent?
Is a psychiatry consult required to determine decision making capacity?
Does depression or other history of mental illness mean a patient has impaired decision making capacity?
Is it justifiable to withhold or withdraw food or fluids?
Is it justifiable to withhold or withdraw care because of costs?