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R S Magnusson

Publications and source records attributed to R S Magnusson.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Euthanasia: above ground, below ground.

The key to the euthanasia debate lies in how best to regulate what doctors do. Opponents of euthanasia frequently warn of the possible negative consequences of legalising physician assisted suicide and active euthanasia (PAS/AE) while ignoring the covert practice of PAS/AE by doctors and other health professionals. Against the background of survey studies suggesting that anything from 4% to 10% of doctors have intentionally assisted a patient to die, and interview evidence of the unregulated, idiosyncratic nature of underground PAS/AE, this paper assesses three alternatives to the current policy of prohibition. It argues that although legalisation may never succeed in making euthanasia perfectly safe, legalising PAS/AE may nevertheless be safer, and therefore a preferable policy alternative, to prohibition. At a minimum, debate about harm minimisation and the regulation of euthanasia needs to take account of PAS/AE wherever it is practised, both above and below ground.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1999

The response of health care workers to AIDS patients' requests for euthanasia.

This paper reports on research into the practice of euthanasia amongst Australian health care professionals specializing in HIV/AIDS. It draws on data from thirty-nine semi-structured interviews carried out in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra with physicians, general practitioners, hospital and community nurses, therapists and community workers. Using a qualitative methodology, the study seeks to identify how (illegal) euthanasia is currently practised, the degrees of involvement, the various forms that involvement takes, and the social relations which provide the context for involvement. In this paper we outline three categories of 'doers' to illustrate the range of attitudes and practices concerning euthanasia. This 'typology' carries a number of implications for recent policy debates over the legalisation of euthanasia. In particular it illustrates, at least within the context of AIDS care, the fragmentation of consensus over euthanasia amongst health care workers, the reality of current illegal euthanasia practices, and the limitations of a prohibitionist policy. While the legalisation of euthanasia within a regulatory framework is sometimes portrayed as an extreme or 'radical' response to terminal illness, the data presented in this paper suggest that prohibitionism is also radical in its failure to control euthanasia practice.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

Testing for HIV without specific consent: a short review.

The practice of testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) without the specific knowledge and consent of the patient raises ethical and legal issues. This report argues that diagnostic HIV testing of specific patients, without their consent, is unethical and may also be illegal. Testing for HIV prevalence on an anonymous, unlinked basis, however, is an important aspect of public health surveillance, and the ethics of clinical intervention should not be confused with the ethics of epidemiological research. Specific consent is usually desirable in view of privacy concerns, the importance of patient autonomy, and the potential for conflict of interest. However, where otherwise appropriate, the law should be clarified to permit nonconsensual HIV testing to proceed legally, possibly following scrutiny by an institutional ethics committee.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed1994

Privacy, confidentiality and HIV/AIDS health care.

Privacy and confidentiality are critical issues for people with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection or AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). This paper reports on a series of 80 detailed interviews conducted in five cities in Australia and New Zealand, within a variety of organisations specialising in the provision of HIV testing and HIV/AIDS treatment services. The aim of the interviews was to survey current practices and procedures relating to the handling of HIV-related health information, and to sample on an informal basis the attitudes of health professionals and HIV-positive persons to specific privacy issues arising with respect to HIV/AIDS health care. The interviews revealed numerous practical issues, innovative procedures, and problems that are of direct relevance to the provision of HIV/AIDS health care services, and to medical practice generally. Despite the genuine commitment to privacy evidenced by most interviewees, the range of examples of careless and blatant breaches of confidentiality indicated by interviewees underscores the need for a concerted effort by those handling HIV information to adhere to legal and professional standards.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1992

The recognition of proprietary rights in human tissue in common law jurisdictions.

Human tissue is used in an increasing number of medical and scientific contexts. Despite this, the law has traditionally regarded such tissue as having no status in law. This paper provides an overview of the issue of property rights in human corpses, cadaveric specimens, donated living tissue, and human tissue used in biotechnology and human reproductive technology. It discusses Australian common law and legislation, and reviews developments in England and the United States from an Australian perspective. The paper argues that limited proprietary rights, consistent with Australian legislation, ought to be recognized both in living and in dead human tissue, in order to achieve worthwhile objectives.

Australia↗