Das Buch dokumentiert die Beitrage des internationalen Symposiums "Assistierter Suizid: Der Stand der Wissenschaft" vom 15. Juni 2015 in Berlin. Es bietet einen einmaligen Uberblick uber die aktuellen empirischen Untersuchungen zum Thema, die in der politischen Debatte teilweise schlicht ignoriert wurden und immer noch ignoriert werden. Es enthalt ausserdem die Transkripte aufschlussreicher Pro-Contra Debatten zwischen Vertretern unterschiedlicher Positionen aus den Fachgebieten Recht, Medizin und Ethik. Am Schluss steht eine ausfuhrliche Kommentierung des neuen Gesetzes "zur Strafbarkeit der geschaftsmassigen Forderung der Selbsttotung" aus rechtlicher, medizinischer und ethischer Perspektive.Die Autoren und Herausgeber sind international ausgewiesene Experten aus Deutschland und aus anderen Staaten, in denen die Totung auf Verlangen und/oder der assistierte Suizid gesetzlich geregelt sind (Niederlande, Schweiz, USA).

Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or motor neurone disease) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that can cause profound suffering for both the patient and their family. Whilst new treatments for ALS are being developed, these are not curative and offer only the potential to slow its progression. Palliative care must therefore be integral to the clinical approach to the disease. Palliative Care in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: From diagnosis to bereavement reflects the wide scope of this care; it must cover not just the terminal phase, but support the patient and their family from the onset of the disease. Both the multidisciplinary palliative care team and the neurology team are essential in providing a high standard of care and allowing quality of life (both patient and carer) to be maintained. Clear guidelines are provided to address care throughout the disease process. Control of symptoms is covered alongside the psychosocial care of patients and their families. Case studies are used to emphasise the complexity of the care needs and involvement of the patient and family, culminating in discussion of bereavement. Different models of care are explored, and this new edition utilizes the increase in both the evidence-base and available literature on the subject. New topics discussed include complementary therapies, personal and family experiences of ALS, new genetics research, and updated guidelines for patient care, to ensure this new edition remains the essential guide to palliative care in ALS.

As a result of its almost total displacement from the everyday life environment death threatens to become a target for the projection of various fears. This volume takes an interdisciplinary look at this complex phenomenon, and attempts to examine its various dimensions. The presentation of the possibilities of current palliative medicine and ethical reflection upon it are shown to be of particular importance.