Living will: Todays thoughts and actions

Abstract

Introduction: The word "Euthanasia" relates to two different words from the Greek language "Eu which indicates good and Thanatosis which indicates death", suggesting a "satisfactory Death" or "easy and painless Death" The phrase "mercy killing" has become associated with this meaning. It comprises inflicting painless death on a person suffering from an incurable and dreadful illness. It's the practice of terminating a person's life by administering a lethal injection or ceasing medical treatment. Informed and shared decision-making between the patient and the health professional caring for him or her is crucial for the quality of care and its outcomes. Living wills are nothing more than a tangible representation of this truth. As a result of their legal approval, patients' autonomy has been recognized. However, there are some differences in the regulations that have been adopted, and the health practice linked with these documents raises a number of practical and ethical questions that should be considered.

Materials and methods: PUBMED and COCHRANE databases were searched, with no language constraints, up to July 2021. Trial registration studies, hand searching, and bibliographic references of pertinent literature were also checked. Individual authors were responsible for data collection and analysis. The studies were evaluated independently by three review authors.

Conclusion: A thorough assessment of the current accessible literature on living will be conducted, just to focus on the knowledge of euthanasia in detail. Most importantly, the social impact of the concept of euthanasia needs to be understood by the society. Moreover, it must be considered that euthanasia is different from suicide. Few communities may show the interference of their religion with euthanasia. So it is essential to enlighten the idea of euthanasia in legal ways for different countries.

Keywords: Advance planning of health care; bioethics; euthanasia; living will; mercy killing.