End of life Issues/ Religion

• What is religion?


  -Belief in a 'transcendent reality

  - Worship/ritual connecting the believer to the transcednatn

  - Moral code

  - Beliefs about the purpose and fate of human existence in relation to that transcendent reality
• What is belief?

  -Something you consider to be true

  - Not all beliefs are religious

  - Non-religious beliefs & communities also lay down moral rules about action. e.g. Vegetarianism & veganism- Feminism- Political conservatism or liberalism - Eco-activism
• Religion and bioethics


  - source of morality for many years

  - people are moving away from the idea there is a central, moral authority in the form of a deity
• religious related issues in medicine and healthcare are very well-known.


  Stem Cells

  Abortion

  Euthanasia

  Vaccines

  Blood transfusion

  Animal Products (pork insulin)
• Examples of impact


  Different views on 'sanctity of life'

  - embryo and fertility research,abortion,contraception,euthanasia

  - different views on eating/animal or products e.g. pork containing medicines vegetarianism

  - different views on standard of dress/religious symbols

  - use of technology or medical treatment e.g. blood transfusion, circumcision

  - religious obligations

  - different interpersonal behaviour, gender,sexuality
• Euthanasia


  X intentionally kills Y, or permits Y's death for Y's benefit
• Active euthanasia


  death induced deliberately, as by injecting a lethal dose of a drug
• Passive euthanasia


  A situation in which a seriously ill person is allowed to die naturally, through the cessation of medical intervention.
• Voluntary euthanasia


  Y competently requests death themselves
• Non- voluntary euthanasia


  Euthanasia when Y is not competent to express a preference
• Involuntary euthanasia


  Death is against Y's component wishes, although X permits or imposes death for Y's benefit
• Suicide


  Y intentionally kill themselves
• Assisted suicide


  X intentionally helps Y to kill themselves
• Physician assisted suicide

  Dr Z intentionally helps Y to kill themselves
• What is truth-telling


  - Implied by the principle of respect of autonomy - patient lied to can't make reasoned and informed choice, they don't have the information they need
• Why might Healthcare professions lie?

  May be good therapy - but deprives patient of choice

  truth may harm patient - provide support when sharing info

  will not properly understand the truth - check understanding

  no certain truth - provide range of possible outcomes