A patient with a history of bipolar depression tells her physician that she no longer wants to live with the breast cancer treatment and wants to die. The patient resides in Oregon. Which of the following should be done first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Within the provisions of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, if a patient has a psychiatric or psychological disorder which could impair judgment, the physician should refer the patient for counseling and prescribe no medication to end the patient's life until it has been determined whether the disorder is impairing judgment. The patient has a history of bipolar depression and therefore should have counseling before moving forward with the planned assisted suicide. The other choices are incorrect and do not take the patient's history of bipolar depression into consideration.

A Patient with a History of Bipolar Depression Tells Her