Biomedicine, Ageing and Euthanasia: A Dangerous Combination
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14422/rib.i28.y2025.010Keywords:
biomedicine, ageing, euthanasia, assited suicide, making therapeutic effort fit for purpose, palliative medicine, socio-healt care services, slippery slopeAbstract
The contemporary biomedicine model, the increasing population ageing of our western societies, and euthanasia or medically assisted suicide (as a solution for terminally ill patients with unbearable suffering and as a result of patient autonomy) are the three sides of the triangle that is the object of our concern. Instead, we propose a medicine that considers the patient in all dimensions (biopsychosocial model) and that emphasizes the need for adequate therapeutic effort, socio-health care and palliative medicine as alternatives to euthanasia. In any case, a true public debate would have been necessary (missing in the case of Spain) in order to achieve true social and professional consensus, rather than the rush displayed by the political party in power at the time that has led to the recently approved law.
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