Medical students' perspectives on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide and their views on legalising these practices in South Africa

South African Medical Journal = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif Vir Geneeskunde
R K Jacobs, M Hendricks

Abstract

Euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide have been a controversial and sometimes taboo topic for a long time, not only in South Africa (SA) but also internationally. A recent (SA) judicial case has seen the topic debated again. Consensus on accepting or abolishing these practices in SA has yet to be reached. All relevant role players need to be adequately engaged before policy can be informed. To determine the views of future doctors (medical students) regarding euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and to ascertain their stance on its legalisation in South Africa (SA). A paper-based, semi-quantitative descriptive study design consisting of 16 questions, using convenience sampling of third- to fifth-year medical students at Stellenbosch University, was used. The overall response rate was 69.3% (N=277). In total, 52.7% of participants (n=146) felt that the practices of euthanasia/PAS should be legalised in SA. Responses varied depending on patient morbidities. If a patient had terminal disease with intractable suffering, 41.9% of participants would terminate the patient's life upon request. A further 36.1% of participants stated that they would have no part in ending a patient's life, while 35.0% said that they would be c...Continue Reading

Citations

Jun 24, 2020·International Quarterly of Community Health Education·Darko DimovskiDragana Čvorović
Dec 29, 2020·Advances in Medical Education and Practice·Iwona Kolodziejczyk, Jerzy Kuzma
Aug 28, 2021·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Masud Khawaja, Abdullah Khawaja

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