Attitudes of Tennessee physicians toward euthanasia and assisted death

Although many studies of euthanasia and physician-assisted death (PAD) have been performed in the United States, none have specifically addressed attitudes among physicians practicing in Tennessee.

In January 2001, we mailed a 30-item survey instrument to a stratified random sample of 1,117 physicians drawn from the Tennessee Licensing Bureau.

Tennessee physicians are highly polarized over the issues of euthanasia and assisted death. A slight majority (47%) did not favor euthanasia or PAD and would oppose the legalization of such procedures. Of the physicians supporting euthanasia or PAD (43%), only 25% would administer a lethal overdose and less than a third would counsel/prescribe medication for an overdose. Attitudes were influenced by three primary factors: ethics, religion, and the role of the physician to relieve pain and suffering.

Regardless of their overall position, the majority of physicians agreed on basic restrictions and safeguards to prevent abuses and to protect vulnerable patients.