New Zealanders' attitudes toward physician-assisted dying

Physician-assisted dying (PAD) is legal in several countries in Europe and some states of the United States. Despite regular societal debate in New Zealand about assisted dying, little is known about what the New Zealand public think about this issue. The present study was the first to examine New Zealanders' attitudes toward assisted dying in the context of various parameters of patient suffering, and as a public policy issue.

Stratified random sampling techniques were used to elicit 677 participants from the electoral roll. They completed an anonymous questionnaire asking about the most appropriate medical response to patients who explicitly request assistance in dying, as well as their opinions around legalization of PAD.

Overall, 78% felt PAD was the most appropriate response in certain situations while 82% felt it should be legalized. When the patient was suffering from loss of dignity, PAD was considered the most appropriate response to patients' requests for assistance in dying by 75% of respondents; when the patient was suffering from intractable pain, 65% of respondents considered PAD the most appropriate response. Almost 65% of those who wanted PAD to be legalized felt it should only be accessible to those suffering unbearably with little hope of recovery, and 46% felt that the presence of mental illness should be an exclusionary factor.

The results have highlighted the high value respondents place on patient autonomy with regards to end-of-life choices; however the choice to hasten death is not a 'right' that should be available to all. RESULTS have clearly shown that New Zealanders believe regulation will play a key role in maintaining compliance with any assisted dying legislation, and in restricting access, so that only patients who are suffering intolerably and hopelessly are able to legally gain medical assistance to end their life.