Changes in attitudes towards hastened death among Finnish physicians over the past sixteen years

BMC Medical Ethics
Reetta P PiiliJuho T Lehto

Abstract

The ethics of hastened death are complex. Studies on physicians' opinions about assisted dying (euthanasia or assisted suicide) exist, but changes in physicians' attitudes towards hastened death in clinical decision-making and the background factors explaining this remain unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the changes in these attitudes among Finnish physicians. A questionnaire including hypothetical patient scenarios was sent to 1182 and 1258 Finnish physicians in 1999 and 2015, respectively. Two scenarios of patients with advanced cancer were presented: one requesting an increase in his morphine dose to a potentially lethal level and another suffering a cardiac arrest. Physicians' attitudes towards assisted death, life values and other background factors were queried as well. The response rate was 56%. The morphine dose was increased by 25% and 34% of the physicians in 1999 and 2015, respectively (p < 0.001). Oncologists approved the increase most infrequently without a significant change between the study years (15% vs. 17%, p = 0.689). Oncological specialty, faith in God, female gender and younger age were independent factors associated with the reluctance to increase the morphine dose. Euthanasia, but not assist...Continue Reading

References

Nov 24, 2001·Resuscitation·H HinkkaP Kellokumpu-Lehtinen
Apr 6, 2002·Journal of Medical Ethics·H HinkkaP Kellokumpu-Lehtinen
May 7, 2003·The Lancet Oncology·Nigel Sykes, Andrew Thorns
Dec 5, 2003·The Journal of Hospital Infection·C M PelloweUNKNOWN Guideline Development Group
Jul 20, 2004·Gerontology·Marja-Liisa LaakkonenReijo S Tilvis
Mar 4, 2005·Social Science & Medicine·Guido MiccinesiUNKNOWN EURELD consortium
Jul 5, 2005·Journal of Medical Ethics·M A Graber, J F Tansey
Mar 9, 2007·Palliative Medicine·Bassam EstfanLisa Rybicki
May 6, 2008·British Journal of Anaesthesia·K T S Pattinson
Aug 12, 2008·Journal of Pain and Symptom Management·Mette L RurupBregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen
Oct 20, 2009·Social Science & Medicine·Clive Seale
Oct 28, 2009·Palliative Medicine·Nathan I ChernyUNKNOWN Board of the European Association for Palliative Care
May 18, 2010·Journal of Pain and Symptom Management·Timothy W KirkUNKNOWN Palliative Sedation Task Force of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Ethics Committee
Aug 26, 2010·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Alexander A Kon
Sep 8, 2010·The New England Journal of Medicine·Jennifer S TemelThomas J Lynch
Mar 1, 2011·Palliative & Supportive Care·Gian Domenico Borasio
Apr 12, 2011·Journal of Medical Ethics·J Andrew Billings
Jul 4, 2012·Current Pharmaceutical Design·Merel BoomAlbert Dahan
Jun 8, 2013·Journal of Pain and Symptom Management·Monica EscherArnaud Perrier
Jun 13, 2013·British Journal of Cancer·C A ClarkeE A Engels
Oct 12, 2013·The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care·Kazuhiro NakazawaTetsuhiro Maeno
Oct 23, 2013·Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care·José Mario López-SacaCarlos Centeno
Mar 7, 2014·Journal of the American Medical Directors Association·Carmen H M HoubenDaisy J A Janssen
Mar 22, 2014·Palliative Medicine·Arianne Brinkman-StoppelenburgAgnes van der Heide
Mar 13, 2015·Journal of Palliative Medicine·Jeremy OultonMartha Jane Mohler
Mar 21, 2015·SpringerPlus·Adam H MillerKnox H Todd
May 20, 2015·JAMA Internal Medicine·C Adrian AustinLaura C Hanson
Jul 29, 2015·Patient Education and Counseling·A M StiggelboutJ C J M De Haes
Nov 21, 2015·Palliative Medicine·Lukas RadbruchUNKNOWN Board Members of EAPC
Jul 6, 2016·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Ezekiel J EmanuelJoachim Cohen

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Feb 1, 2019·Medical Principles and Practice : International Journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre·Shaikhah AbohaimedNasra Shah
Nov 25, 2021·Critical Care Nursing Quarterly·Amir Emami ZeydiSamad Karkhah

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Software Mentioned

SPSS Statistics

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Robert D Goldney
Supportive Care in Cancer : Official Journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
F Stiefel
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved