Issues Law Med. 1994 Summer;10(1):81-90.
This Board of Trustees Reports urges physicians to be aware of continuing efforts by some in society to end suffering by speeding deaths through medical interventions. The experience in Holland with euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide is outlined in this report, as are the differing interpretations of the Dutch data by voices in Holland. The Dutch guidelines intended to protect patients have not been consistently respected. The sum of the experience suggests that implementation of their controls on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide has not been effective. Recognizing that there are differences between withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment and euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, the availability of mechanisms for end of life medical decision-making by patients, such as powers of attorney, etc., should be more widely promoted. The Board of Trustees recommends that the American Medical Association reject euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide as being incompatible with the nature and purposes of the healing arts.
本董事会报告敦促医生们留意社会上一些人持续进行的努力，即通过医疗干预加速死亡来结束痛苦。本报告概述了荷兰在安乐死和医生协助自杀方面的情况，以及荷兰国内对这些数据的不同解读。荷兰旨在保护患者的指导方针并未得到始终如一的遵守。总体经验表明，他们对安乐死和医生协助自杀的管控措施并未有效实施。认识到停止或撤销维持生命的治疗与安乐死及医生协助自杀之间存在差异，应更广泛地推广诸如授权书等患者临终医疗决策机制。董事会建议美国医学协会拒绝安乐死和医生协助自杀，因为它们与医疗行业的性质和宗旨不相容。
