ENGL Research Proposal

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Apr 3, 2024

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1 Stiening Erica Stiening M. Ed. Kuzuhara ENGL 215 / Research Proposal 19 March 2024 Research Proposal Medical aid in dying, also known as MAID, has been in the public eye and gaining traction since the nineties. Medical aid in dying “is a term that refer to when a medical doctor gives a terminally ill patient the information or means needed to end their own life” (Kusmaul 2). I am interested in exploring why MAID is not more widely accepted and legal. Presently, access to medical aid in dying “is legal in 10 states and the District of Columbia” (Luterman 6). The lack of access legally and acceptance for MAID has personally affected me. Indiana does not have a law that allows for consideration of medical aid in dying. Within the states where MAID is legal, “in order to utilize MAID practices, a person must have a prognosis of less than 6 months to live due to a terminal illness” (Kusmaul 2). My grandfather fell ill and was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, with less than three months to live. My grandfather did not want to suffer until his death, and because MAID is not legal in Indiana, he took his own life. During my research on this topic, I discovered there is quite an argument within the courts on whether MAID is ethical and if it allows for autonomy. Upon reviewing several resources for my research, I was able to identify several perspectives and themes. In all the sources, the definition is listed and most listed the requirements - patients must be terminally ill with less than six months to live, two doctors must confirm the prognosis and the diagnosis, they must request MAID with each time being 15 days apart and be informed of all options available to them. (Kusmaul 2). Some have listed synonyms

2 Stiening and that MAID is often confused with euthanasia. A big argument with a large following would be that people with disabilities are at risk for discrimination. “It’s about going up against a ‘better dead than disabled’ mindset” (Luterman 2), was a statement that really stuck out to me when conducting my research. However, with the current parameters, I do not believe that is relevant. Others against MAID argue it is murder or homicide, and that it goes against the oath physicians take, “opponents of physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients argue that, when legalized, the practice is a little more than state-sanctioned killing” (Right to Die 10). Per “A Policy Mapping…”, physicians are not required to prescribe the drugs, and have the right to refuse (Kusmaul 2). I would argue that a medical assisted death is not killing or murder, because an individual must be able to self-administer the drugs/medication, while being of sound mind to make the decision. Many believe and argue in favor of medical aid in dying for ethics and autonomy. Compassion is also a major argument in the MAID movement, “forcing patients to undergo unnecessary suffering is not compassionate but cruel” (Mercier 2). “A Policy Mapping Analysis of the U.S. Congressional Approach to Medical Aid-in-Dying” article looks at the bills that have been presented and the impacts they impose. One thing I concluded from all arguments is that the population does not believe that the government should have control over how we go out and when. When looking at the topic of medical aid in dying there are several questions that come to my mind. Why is MAID not legal in all 50 states? Why does the government have any say in someone’s medical choices? Is the ethical debate on MAID a fair argument because ethics vary from person to person? Have they considered broadening the eligibility requirements for more than terminally ill? I think the population has a lot of unanswered questions regarding medical aid in dying, because there is not a lot of education for those who are terminally ill. There would

3 Stiening be a good argument that doctors should not discuss MAID with someone after their prognosis is given to them, because it may influence them to make a choice they may not otherwise make. Could MAID be like a DNR order? For me personally, I would like to explore the avenue, should medical aid in dying be an option for anyone who meets the requirements in all states? When I consider my target audience, I think of everyone. There are so many who should be informed because they could potentially be impacted by medical aid in dying. The audience would be anyone over the age of 18 eligible to vote. Physicians and those who are terminally ill would be the most impacted, and the families of those who are terminally ill. I would say that the government is also my target audience. People over the age of eighteen who vote will be able to influence whether MAID becomes legal in all states. The government is very important to reach because currently they hold all the power on if someone even has access. Someone who is terminal, and their families should know about medical aid in dying. Physicians are extremely important as well, because if they are not properly informed, no one is getting the access or help when they need it most. The option for medical aid in dying and having it available to everyone who meets the requirements truly could influence anyone. I need to obtain more knowledge to properly argue my opinion on medical aid in dying. I need to look at the statistics for MAID and what the voting has looked like. I need to see if the government and the public are on the same page, of if there is a discrepancy between the opinions of both. I need to look at what bills have been proposed and why they were turned down, and what would need to change within them to give universal access to patients in all states. Without looking into these questions there is not a lot to argue, other that the ethical side of why MAID should be legalized in all states. I would like to look at the statistics for those who have taken advantage of medical aid in dying and what terminal illness they had. I would need to

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4 Stiening look at government websites with voting records. I would want to look at newspaper articles that talk about MAID to see what is being put out to the public. Reading journal articles could provide a chance to read accounts of those who wanted or used MAID and the impacts that had on their families. I am not certain on what online library resources I will use to find the information I am after. This is my first time every working on an argumentative research paper, so I am simply learning as the course goes on. Typically, when I have looked for research before, I would go onto Google and search my questions and maybe change the wording up some. I was able to distinguish what websites were factual and what seems like it would be untrustworthy. My plan to obtain more research and get information on my questions is look at the databases on the Ivy Tech library website. I am hoping to be able to look up information outside of the Ivy Tech library databases as well, to get some of my questions answers, if I am having trouble finding what I am looking for. I plan to search terms like medical aid in dying (MAID), physician assisted death (PAD), medical assisted suicide (MAS), and physician suicide. I will also look up the abbreviations for the words.

5 Stiening Works Cited Kusmaul, Nancy, et al. “A Policy Mapping Analysis of the U.S. Congressional Approach to Medical Aid-in-Dying.” Omega , Sept. 2021, p. 302228211043694. EBSCOhost , https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228211043694 . LUTERMAN, SARA. “The Right to Live.” Nation , vol. 316, no. 12, June 2023, pp. 28–33. EBSCOhost , research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=fda2803d-efba-31fa-a19c- c1bc7dd6dc82. “Right to Die.” Issues & Controversies, Infobase, 17 Sept. 2019, icof.infobase.com/articles/QXJ0aWNsZVRleHQ6MTYyNzM=. Accessed 2 Sept. 2023. Mercier, Jean, et al. "Physician-Assisted Dying Is Justified by Accepted Ethical Principles." Ethics , edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2015. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints , link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010431269/OVIC?u=ivytech7&sid=bookmark- OVIC&xid=6424471d. Accessed 22 Aug. 2023. Originally published as "The Ethical Bases of Medical Aid in Dying," http://impactethics.ca , 21 Jan. 2014.

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