Part I: Ellen Goodman; Part II: Warren E. Leary

The authors of the following two-part viewpoint contend that the problem of undertreated pain among the terminally ill must be addressed. In Part I, syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman argues that severe pain often causes the fatally ill to lose their will to live; compassion demands that these patients be given adequate medication to prevent needless suffering during the dying process. In Part II, New York Times writer Warren E. Leary reports that recent improvements in medicine have resulted in life-sustaining technologies that only prolong the dying process and do not effectively control pain. The medical community needs to focus on relieving suffering and improving end-of-life care, Leary maintains.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Goodman, why was Dr. Paul Bilder...