Californians for Compassionate Choices: ''Suicide'' is Inaccurate, Biased Term to Describe Terminally-Ill Patients' End-of-Life Choices; Public Opinion & Medical Experts Urge Media to Adopt Neutral Terms

Business Wire, Sept 28, 2005

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Public opinion research released today shows that use of the term "suicide" to describe the end-of-life choices of terminally-ill patients is inaccurate and biases audiences against patients and their families. "'Suicide,' or 'assisted-suicide,' or 'physician-assisted suicide' are loaded, pejorative terms that paint terminally-ill patients in the same negative light as terrorist bombers," Barbara Coombs-Lee, co-president of Compassion and Choices told a national news media teleconference. "'Suicide' is inaccurate because it indicates a self-destructive act that kills a person. Fatal diseases are killing terminally ill patients, and patients are choosing to avoid a prolonged dying process. Using the term 'suicide' can adversely-affect patients' life insurance and other survivors' benefits. Suicide is a sin in many religions, and physician-assisted suicide is a crime in all states. Using the term has negative impacts on terminally ill patients, their families and survivors. It's not accurate and it's not fair."

Terminally ill patient Jack Newbold is facing the final days of his life. An Astoria, Oregon, sea captain, Newbold, 59, has bone marrow cancer. Newbold has obtained a lethal dose of medication under the Oregon Death with Dignity law. He told the news conference that he resented media reports that he is about to "kill" himself. "I've got just a few days left to live, and I don't want to put my wife and family through a prolonged death. I'm not committing suicide, and I don't want to die. But I am dying, and I don't want someone dictating to me that I've got to lie down in some hospital bed and die in pain." Newbold joined the teleconference from his final road trip, during which he expects to die with dignity within a few days. "I was upset by media reports that I intend to 'kill' myself. I'm not killing myself; cancer is taking care of that. I may take the option of shortening the agony of my final hours."

Public opinion researcher David Binder presented findings from his California research indicating that respondents found terms such as "assisted suicide" both inaccurate and biased. "Respondents have a negative impression of the term 'assisted-suicide,' as it carries loaded connotations that it is a crime. Patients are also insulted by this term and want a term that is more neutral, without the inherent bias," said Binder. When asked to provide a letter grade to various terms to describe end-of-life language choices, "assisted suicide" received a "D," scoring only slightly ahead of "hastened death," the least effective phrase tested to describe the process.

Binder found that respondents scored "death with dignity," "Right to Die," "End-of-life choices," as much more accurate descriptors.

Binder's findings correspond with a May 2005 Gallup Poll indicating that 75% of Americans support euthanasia for certain patients, but only 58% support "doctor-assisted suicide" for the same patients. Use of the term "suicide" was the only difference in the question asked. The Gallup Poll concluded, "The apparent conflict in values appears to be a consequence of mentioning, or not mentioning, the word 'suicide.'"

Dr. Peter Goodwin, an Oregon physician who is an expert on that state's Death with Dignity, which is being challenged by the Bush Administration before the U.S. Supreme Court, presented his own views. "I have treated scores of terminally-ill patients, and not one of them wanted to die. Not one of them wanted to 'kill' themselves," said Dr. Goodwin. "These patients wanted to live as long as they could experience life. They did not, however, want to prolong their deaths. As a physician, I resent the term 'physician-assisted suicide.' I have never felt I was assisting a suicidal patient, but rather aiding a patient with his or her end-of-life choice."

The experts asked that news media consider alternative language to the term "suicide," and offered many other phrasings, including: Death With Dignity, Aid in Dying, Choice in Dying, End-of-Life Choices, Choice at the End of Life, Terminally Ill Patients' Rights, Compassionate Choices, and Choice and Control at the End of Life.

The briefing by experts on end-of-life language choices is available for replay for three weeks. Call: 1-973-341-3080 Pin: 6507480

Background information relating to end-of-life language choices can be found at: http://www.compassionatechoices.org/