Bookverdict.com

Quill created a stir in the medical community when he described in a New England Journal of Medicine article (later reprinted in Harper's ) how he prescribed barbiturates to a terminally ill cancer patient, knowing she planned to use them to take her life when her suffering became unbearable. In Death and Dignity , Quill discusses how the medical profession's emphasis on technology and "life at all costs'' fails to acknowledge the suffering that accompanies terminal illness. He argues for a greater emphasis on "comfort care'' and for giving power to the patient. Quill believes fewer patients would choose suicide as an escape if more efforts wer...Log In or Sign Up to Read More