A Midwife through the Dying Process: Stories of Healing and Hard Choices at the End of Life [Hardcover]

Dr. Timothy E. Quill MD (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 1996

Approximately two-thirds of deaths in the United States involve a doctor's partnership with an individual, whether it be for the administration of pain relief or sedation or for the act of discontinuing or not beginning life-sustaining treatment. In A Midwife through the Dying Process, Timothy Quill, M.D., explores that partnership and the complex end-of-life issues that surround physician-assisted death. Here are the stories of nine individuals and their very different endings, common only in each person's struggle to confront issues of law and ethics and to realize a "good"death.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""Quill's portraits of his own role and that of other physicians who have aided their patients in dying are direct, honest, and extremely informative... Many readers will see Quill's composite portrait as the best, most evocative description of a physician's appropriate role in assisting a patient who is dying, that of a 'midwife through the dying process' -- a phrase he borrowed from one of his patients." -- New England Journal of Medicine

Review

"We won't all be lucky enough to have Dr. Quill at our bedsides when we die, but we can have him as a storyteller. These stories are more than inspiring; they're important, wise, and simply wonderful to read." -- Betty Rollin, author of Last Wish

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; 1ST edition (October 17, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801855160
• ISBN-13: 978-0801855160
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,723,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Medical Books > Medicine > Euthanasia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, May 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: A Midwife through the Dying Process: Stories of Healing and Hard Choices at the End of Life (Paperback)

An outstanding collection of vignettes that can be read not only by those in the health care professions, but also by those who just have questions about how physicians and clients can communicate around sensitive issues. I have used it as a text for nursing students with great success and shared it with friends diagnosed with a serious illness. I strongly recommend it for anyone who is concerned about quality of life at the end of life

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent series of vignettes about compassion for the dying, July 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Midwife through the Dying Process: Stories of Healing and Hard Choices at the End of Life (Hardcover)

Dr. Quill is best known for his infamous "Diane" who chose to end her life in a unorthodox way. Dr. Quill does not agree with physician assisted suicide, however, he does believe that compassion in dying and allowing one to make their own destiny in the face of uncontrollable pain will alleviate much suffering. The most common reason for suicide in those with medical conditions that are incurable are is they want to die in control and without pain. It is possible with the right medical care and if it results in hastening ones death...so be it. Dr. Kevorkian uses an unorthodox procedure that at times is barbaric. Dr. Quill is one who will help you and make you comfortable. He shares his experiences with several of his patients in a way that is humane and loving.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nine Deaths, a Doctor's Account, August 30, 2010

By 

James L. Park "James Leonard Park" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Midwife through the Dying Process: Stories of Healing and Hard Choices at the End of Life (Paperback)

Timothy E. Quill, MD
Midwife Through the Dying Process:
Stories of Healing and Hard Choices at the End of Life

(Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996) 239 pages

Dr. Timothy Quill became famous for disclosing
that he helped one of his patients to die by providing the necessary drugs.
This happens in only one of the nine deaths discussed in this book.
Midwife Through the Dying Process
traces the diseases and terminal illnesses of nine people
personally known by Dr. Quill in Rochester, New York.
The patients' families were almost always involved in the dying process.
Terminal sedation is the closest Dr. Quill is now willing to go
toward helping patients to die.
But the book contains many useful insights into the dying process
as seen thru the eyes of the doctor.

If you would like to read other books about dying,
search the Internet for these precise words:
"Books on Helping People to Die".

James Leonard Park, advocate of the right-to-die with careful safeguards.