PMID: 8941238Nov 18, 1996Paper

Treatment decision-making at the end of life: a survey of Australian doctors' attitudes towards patients' wishes and euthanasia

The Medical Journal of Australia
C WaddellA Kellehear

Abstract

To examine factors that influence medical practitioners' treatment decisions for patients with life-threatening or terminal illnesses. Postal survey, conducted between September and November 1995, of a self-administered questionnaire, describing four clinical case scenarios, to a random sample of 2172 Australian doctors in all States and Territories. Respondents were asked to prescribe treatment for the patients described in the scenarios. Patients' characteristics varied in terms of mental competence, illness severity, prognosis, the presence of advance directives, request for assisted death, and sociodemographic factors. The respondents' sociodemographic and medical training characteristics were also obtained. Random national sample of all active medical practitioners. Hospital trainees, general practitioners, physicians, palliative care practitioners and surgeons were surveyed. A response rate of 73% was achieved. Frequency of prescription of supportive, acute or intensive treatment for patients in the four clinical scenarios based on respondents' sex, religion, medical training and country of medical degree. Three main findings were: (i) doctors did not make consistent decisions, but their decisions varied systematically by...Continue Reading

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