Disability and Health Journal
Volume 3, Issue 1 , Pages 3-15 , January 2010

The Oregon Death with Dignity Act: Results of a literature review and naturalistic inquiry

  • Charles E. Drum, M.P.A., J.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author: P.O. Box 574. Fax: (503) 494-6868.
    • Center on Community Accessibility, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239-0574, USA
    • ,
  • Glen White, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Research and Training Center on Measurement and Interdependence in Community Living, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
    • ,
  • Genia Taitano, M.P.H

      Affiliations

    • Center on Community Accessibility, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239-0574, USA
    • ,
  • Willi Horner-Johnson, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Center on Community Accessibility, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239-0574, USA

References 

  1. Legislative Counsel Committee. The Oregon Death with Dignity Act § 127.800. Oregon Revised Statutes, Volume 3 2007. Available at: https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors_chapters/127.
  2. Oregon Department of Human Services. Death with Dignity Act. 2007. Available at: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/ors.shtml.
  3. Oregon Department of Human Services. Death with Dignity Act compliance forms. 2007. Available at: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/pasforms.shtml.
  4. Higginson G, Hedbegr K. Regarding Oregon's Death with Dignity Act and Oregon State's public health role. 1998. Available at: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/ohdrole.shtml.
  5. In:  Fiedler CR,  Rylance BJ editor. Journal of Disability policy studies: end-of-life issues and persons with disabilities. Austin, TX: PRO-ED; 2005;
  6. Nunberg G. The language of death. The years of talking dangerously. New York, NY: Public Affairs; 2009;233-240
  7. Raithatha N. Euphemisms must be avoided. BMJ. 1998;316:72
  8. Glaser BG, Strauss AL. The discovery of grounded theory. Chicago, IL: Aldine; 1967;
  9. Thorne S. Data analysis in qualitative research. Evidence-Based Nurs. 2000;3:68
  10. Guba EG, Lincoln YS. Fourth generation evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 1989;
  11. Lofland J, Snow DA, Anderson L, et al. analyzing social settings: a guide to qualitative observation and analysis. 4th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth; 2005;
  12. Creswell JW. Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 2003;
  13. Wolf MM. Social validity: the case for subjective measurement or how applied behavior analysis is finding its heart. J Appl Behav Anal. 1978;11(2):203–214
  14. Oregon Department of Human Services. 2008 Annual report on the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, Table 1. 2009. Available at: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/yr11-tbl-1.pdf.
  15. Oregon Department of Human Services. Oregon's Death with Dignity Act: the first year's experience. 1999. Available at: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/year1.pdf.
  16. Oregon Department of Human Services. Eighth annual report on Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. 2006. Available at: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/year8.pdf.
  17. Legislative Counsel Committee. The Oregon Death with Dignity Act § 127.800: 127.860, 127.865 Requirements. Oregon Revised Statutes, Volume 3, 2007. Available at: https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors_chapters/127.
  18. Oregon Department of Human Services. Prescription history: Oregon Death with Dignity Act. 2008 September 3, 2009. Available at: http://oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/prescriptionhistory.pdf.
  19. Oregon Department of Human Services. Oregon's Death with Dignity Act: the second year's experience. 2000 September 3, 2009. Available at: http://oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/year2.pdf.
  20. Ganzini L, Nelson HD, Schmidt TA, et al. Physicians' experiences with the Oregon Death with Dignity Act. N Engl J Med. 2000;342(8):557–563
  21. Chin AE, Hedberg K, Higginson G, et al. Oregon's Death with Dignity Act: the first year's experience. Salem, OR: Department of Human Resources, Oregon Health Division; 1999;
  22. Sullivan AD, Hedberg K, Fleming DW. Legalized physician-assisted suicide in Oregon: the second year. N Engl J Med. 2000;342:598–604
  23. Ganzini L, Goy ER, Dobscha SK. Prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients requesting physicians' aid in dying: cross sectional survey. BMJ. 2008;337:973–975
  24. Coombs Lee B, Werth JL. Observations on the first year of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. Psychol Public Policy Law. 2000;6(2):268–290
  25. Ganzini L, Johnston WS, McFarland BH, et al. Attitudes of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their care givers toward assisted suicide. N Engl J Med. 1998;339(14):967–973
  26. Berkman CS, Cavallo PF, Chesnut WC, et al. Attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide among persons with multiple sclerosis. J Palliat Med. 1999;2(1):51–63
  27. Ganzini L, Nelson HD, Lee MA, et al. Oregon physicians' attitudes about and experiences with end-of-life care since passage of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act. JAMA. 2001;285(18):2363–2369
  28. Ganzini L, Fenn DS, Lee MA, et al. Attitudes of Oregon psychiatrists toward physician-assisted suicide. Am J Psychiatry. 1996;153(11):1469–1475
  29. Battin MP, van der Heide A, Ganzini L, et al. Legal physician-assisted dying in Oregon and the Netherlands: evidence concerning the impact on patients in “vulnerable” groups. J Med Ethics. 2007;33(10):591–597
  30. Ganzini L, Harvath TA, Jackson A, et al. Experiences of Oregon nurses and social workers with hospice patients who requested assistance with suicide. N Engl J Med. 2002;347(8):582–588
  31. Ganzini L, Silveira MJ, Johnston WS. Predictors and correlates of interest in assisted suicide in the final month of life among ALS patients in Oregon and Washington. J Pain Sympt Manage. 2002;24(3):312–317
  32. Ganzini L, Dobscha SK, Heintz RT, et al. Oregon physicians' perceptions of patients who request assisted suicide and their families. J Palliat Med. 2003;6(3):381–390
  33. Tolle SW, Tilden VR, Drach LL, et al. Characteristics and proportion of dying Oregonians who personally consider physician-assisted suicide. J Clin Ethics. 2004;15(2):111–118
  34. Fromme EK, Tilden VP, Drach LL, et al. Increased family reports of pain or distress in dying Oregonians: 1996 to 2002. J Palliat Med. 2004;7(3):431–442
  35. Compassion and Choices of Oregon. Compassion and changes of Oregon: the Oregon Law. 2006. Available at: http://compassionoforegon.org/index.php?a=law.
  36. Oregon Department of Human Services. Oregon's Death with Dignity Act: 2007. September 30, 2009. Available at: http://oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/year10.pdf.
  37. Gill CJ. Depression in the context of disability and the “right to die.”. Theor Med Bioeth. 2004;25(3):171–198
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  41. Singer PA. Why we must ration health care. 2009; Availableat: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/magazine/19healthcare-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss.

 Financial disclosure: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

PII: S1936-6574(09)00185-X

doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2009.10.001

Disability and Health Journal
Volume 3, Issue 1 , Pages 3-15 , January 2010

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