The practice of terminal discharge: Is it euthanasia by stealth?

‘Terminal discharges’ are carried out in Singapore for patients who wish to die at home. However, if due diligence is not exercised, parallels may be drawn with euthanasia. We present a theoretical discussion beginning with the definition of terminal discharges and the reasons why they are carried o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nursing ethics
Authors: Radha Krishna, Lalit Kumar (Author) ; Murugam, Vengadasalam (Author) ; Quah, Daniel Song Chiek (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2018
In: Nursing ethics
Further subjects:B topic areas
B terminal discharges
B Palliative Care
B rapid discharges
B clinical ethics
B end-of-life issues
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:‘Terminal discharges’ are carried out in Singapore for patients who wish to die at home. However, if due diligence is not exercised, parallels may be drawn with euthanasia. We present a theoretical discussion beginning with the definition of terminal discharges and the reasons why they are carried out in Singapore. By considering the intention behind terminal discharges and utilising a multidisciplinary team to deliberate on the clinical, social and ethical intricacies with a patient- and context-specific approach, euthanasia is avoided. It is hoped that this will provide a platform for professionals in palliative medicine to negotiate challenging issues when arranging a terminal discharge, so as to avoid the pitfall of committing euthanasia in a country such as Singapore where euthanasia is illegal. It is hoped that a set of guidelines for terminal discharges may someday be realised to assist professionals in Singapore and around the world.
ISSN:1477-0989
Contains:Enthalten in: Nursing ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0969733016687155