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Physicians' attitudes about involvement in lethal injection for capital punishment
N Farber1, E B Davis, J Weiner
1Deartment of Medicine, Christiana Care Health System, 501 W 14th St, Wilmington, DE 19899, USA. nfarber@christianacare.org.
Background:
Physicians could play various roles in carrying out capital punishment via lethal injection. Medical societies like the American Medical Association (AMA) and American College of Physicians have established which roles are acceptable and which are disallowed. No one has explored physicians' attitudes toward their potential roles in this process.
Methods:
We surveyed physicians about how acceptable it was for physicians to engage in 8 actions disallowed by the AMA and 4 allowed actions involving lethal injection. Questions assessing attitudes toward capital punishment and assisted suicide were included. The impact of attitudinal and demographic variables on the number of disallowed actions deemed acceptable was analyzed via analysis of variance and multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results:
Four hundred eighty-two physicians (51%) returned questionnaires. Eighty percent indicated that at least 1 of the disallowed actions was acceptable, 53% indicated that 5 or more were acceptable, and 34% approved all 8 disallowed actions. The percentage of respondents approving of disallowed actions varied from 43% for injecting lethal drugs to 74% for determining when death occurred. All 4 allowed actions were deemed acceptable by the majority of respondents. Favoring the death penalty (P<.001) and the acceptance of assisted suicide (P<.001) were associated with an increased number of disallowed actions that were deemed acceptable.
Conclusions:
Despite medical society policies, the majority of physicians surveyed approved of most disallowed actions involving capital punishment, indicating that they believed it is acceptable in some circumstances for physicians to kill individuals against their wishes. It is possible that the lack of stigmatization by colleagues allows physicians to engage in such practices. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:2912-2916
Insights
Despite medical guidelines, most physicians find some roles in capital punishment acceptable. Many surveyed physicians approved disallowed actions in lethal injection, showing a gap between policy and practice.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Physicians' involvement in capital punishment, specifically lethal injection, is debated.
- Medical societies like the AMA have defined acceptable and unacceptable physician roles.
- Physician attitudes toward these roles in capital punishment have not been previously studied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate physicians' attitudes toward their potential roles in capital punishment via lethal injection.
- To determine the acceptability of specific physician actions in lethal injection procedures.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to physicians assessing attitudes toward 8 disallowed and 4 allowed actions in lethal injection.
- Physicians' views on capital punishment and assisted suicide were also surveyed.
- Statistical analyses, including ANOVA and logistic regression, were used to examine attitudinal and demographic impacts.
Main Results:
- 482 physicians responded, with 80% finding at least one disallowed action acceptable.
- 53% found five or more disallowed actions acceptable, and 34% approved all eight.
- Acceptance of disallowed actions correlated with support for the death penalty and assisted suicide.
Conclusions:
- A majority of surveyed physicians approved of disallowed actions in capital punishment, contradicting medical society policies.
- This suggests physicians may deem it acceptable to participate in lethal injections under certain circumstances.
- The study posits that a lack of collegial stigmatization may enable physicians to engage in these practices.