One of the unique and critical perspectives shared in How to Die in Oregon was that of Cody Curtis' oncologist, Dr. Katherine Morris. As director Peter Richardson mentions in this video, finding a doctor who was willing to talk on camera about prescribing medication under Oregon's Death with Dignity Act was a huge challenge. He had been filming for two years and was close to completing filming before he met Cody, her family and her physician. Up to that point he often didn't even know the names of the prescribing physicians.

The doctors who prescribe under the Oregon and Washington laws aren't in any way ashamed or embarrassed about honoring their patients' requests; rather, they feel they must remain anonymous because of the negative stigma which still surrounds this issue.

Dr. Lewis Cohen is a psychiatrist who's worked with dying patients whose problems include renal failure and who've decided to forgo further life-prolonging therapies, including dialysis. The "good deed" of his title is the administration of optimal, aggressive palliative care to these and other dying patients, even at the risk of hastening death.

Cohen's book takes as its point of departure the case of two nurses accused by a coworker of conspiring to murder a patient. He documents the ordeals to which they (and several similarly-accused care-givers) are exposed, and elaborates on the personal trauma for all involved. He explores the circumstances which give rise to these unfortunate situations, as well as several of the broader end-of-life care issues—international attitudes on end-of-life care including everything from truth-telling to aggressive palliative care, Oregon-style Death with Dignity policies, and active euthanasia. The book is non-technical, very accessible, and provides real insight into the national controversy over aggressive palliative care for the dying.

How to Die in Oregon premiered on HBO yesterday and is now available on-demand until June 19th. Many people caught the documentary as it wowed film festivals throughout the country. We're thrilled to see it become even more accessible through TV, and the DVD release is tentatively scheduled for September.

A deeply emotional film, it elicits many different feelings and reactions from its viewers. To create a space for people to talk about the film and how they felt, we held a TweetChat about How to Die in Oregon. (Thank you, everyone, for joining the conversation!)

Below, you can read through the discussion we had via Twitter.

What are your thoughts about the film? Please share them in the comments section below.

After How to Die in Oregon premiers on HBO May 26th, please tune into our live TweetChat the following day at 1pm (ET)/10am (PT) to talk about the film.

With TweetChat, Twitter allows for a unique venue to openly and candidly talk about this intimate documentary which explores Oregon's Death with Dignity Act through individuals' stories. By engaging in this conversation you'll help us raise awareness about why everyone should have the ability to determine the manner and timing of their own deaths when faced with a terminal illness.

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts as well as the unique perspectives of our partners working to pass the Vermont legislation this biennium, Patient Choices Vermont and two women whose loved ones died with grace and dignity through Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. Jill Curtis, Cody Curtis' daughter, is featured in How to Die in Oregon, and Nora Miller was by her husband's side as he decided when and whether to hasten his death.

Janice M. Van Dyck is an award-winning author and writer. Her recent novel, "Finding Frances," is a gentle, upbeat exploration of a family's love and what it means to live and die in this age of modern medicine. This article was originally published on Huffington Post.

I'm looking forward to watching Peter Richardson's controversial documentary, "How to Die in Oregon," debuting on HBO May 26. The acclaimed film took best documentary at this year's Sundance Film Festival. In it, the filmmaker offers a galvanizing exposure to real people who plan to use Oregon's Death with Dignity Law, which allows a physician-assisted death by drug overdose for patients with less than six months to live.

I'm more knowledgeable than most people on the topic of death and dying. Last year I published a novel, "Finding Frances," about a woman's end-of-life choices and the effect her decision had on her family. I wrote about different views, beliefs and emotions on ending life, wrung from my own experiences and extensive research after my mother died. Although I was sure I'd fully intellectualized the topic, seeing the reality of a dying person voluntarily ending their life on screen will surely give me more to think about.