Assisted suicide and AIDS patients. A survey of physicians' attitudes

Psychosomatics
Z HaghbinG P Danko

Abstract

Physicians' attitudes about assisted suicide were assessed by using a vignette of an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients who requests a lethal injection. Of the 389 respondents, 34% received at least 1 request for assisted suicide; 9% had requests from an AIDS patient; and 41% had at least indirectly assisted a terminal patient to die in actual practice. Thirty-three percent of the respondents agreed to the authors' hypothetical patient's request for a lethal injection. Medical and personal experiences did not determine attitudes that were somewhat influenced by ethical beliefs and religious commitment. The study confirms previous findings that many physicians underestimate the effect of depressive illness on rational decision making concerning assisted suicide the effect of depressive illness on rational decision making concerning assisted suicide requests.

References

Oct 6, 1989·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·D Orentlicher
Jul 14, 1994·The New England Journal of Medicine·J S CohenR W Wood
Feb 1, 1996·The New England Journal of Medicine·M A LeeS W Tolle

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Citations

Apr 20, 2005·Journal of General Internal Medicine·Alexandra E ShieldsCaryn Lerman
Apr 6, 2006·Palliative & Supportive Care·Brian J KellyDan Pelusi
Feb 17, 2005·Health Expectations : an International Journal of Public Participation in Health Care and Health Policy·Hanna K ToiviainenElina Hemminki
Dec 16, 2003·Medical Decision Making : an International Journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making·F MortierL Deliens

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