Medical arguments against assisted suicide tend to emphasize
a. concerns about the enforceability of safeguards.
b. the possibility of misdiagnosis.
c. the obligation of doctors to relieve patients’ suffering.
d. concern for protection of the disadvantaged.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is b. the possibility of misdiagnosis.
Medical arguments against assisted suicide often focus on the risk that a patient’s diagnosis, especially regarding terminal illness or prognosis, may be incorrect. Misdiagnosis or errors in prognosis can lead to irreversible decisions that result in premature death of individuals who might have otherwise recovered or lived longer with an acceptable quality of life. Since medical assessments are not always perfect, relying on them to make such a critical and final decision raises serious ethical and practical concerns.
Another key medical concern is the uncertainty in predicting how long a patient has to live or how they might respond to treatments. Some patients diagnosed as terminal may survive far longer than expected, sometimes with new treatments becoming available. This unpredictability makes assisted suicide a risky option when based solely on current medical judgments.
Additionally, some medical professionals argue that rather than assisting in ending life, the focus should be on improving palliative care and pain management to relieve suffering. They emphasize the obligation of healthcare providers to preserve life and provide comfort rather than participate in actions that intentionally end life.
Medical arguments also highlight the potential emotional and psychological state of patients requesting assisted suicide. Depression, anxiety, or temporary emotional distress might impair decision-making capacity, suggesting the need for thorough psychological evaluation before considering assisted suicide.
While concerns about safeguards (answer a) and protecting vulnerable groups (answer d) are important ethical and legal issues, they are not strictly medical arguments. The medical perspective centers primarily on diagnosis accuracy, prognosis uncertainty, and the role of healthcare providers in care and suffering relief. The obligation to relieve suffering (answer c) is often used in arguments supporting assisted suicide rather than opposing it.