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Published on: April 29, 2007
Doctors' attitudes to assisted dying
Summary
Norwegian doctors remain largely opposed to legalizing physician-assisted suicide, but support has slightly increased, especially among younger, non-religious physicians. Few doctors would personally perform the procedure.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Public Health Policy
- Sociology of Medicine
Background:
- Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is illegal in Norway, yet public support for legalization is high.
- Previous studies on Norwegian doctors' attitudes towards PAS were conducted in 1993.
- This study investigates potential shifts in physicians' views on PAS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess current Norwegian physicians' attitudes towards the legalization of physician-assisted suicide.
- To identify demographic factors influencing these attitudes.
- To compare current attitudes with those reported in 1993.
Main Methods:
- Two cross-sectional surveys were administered to the Norwegian Medical Association's research panel in 2014 and 2016.
- Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.
- Response rates were 75.0% (2014) and 73.1% (2016).
Main Results:
- A majority of Norwegian doctors opposed PAS legalization in both 2014 and 2016.
- In 2016, 9.1% were "strongly agree" and 21.5% "somewhat agree" that PAS should be permitted for terminally ill patients.
- Younger and non-religious physicians showed higher support for legalization. In 2014, 8.6% of respondents indicated willingness to perform PAS if legalized.
Conclusions:
- While most Norwegian doctors remain against PAS, there is evidence of increased support for legalization in specific circumstances compared to 1993.
- Physician willingness to perform PAS remains low.
- Demographic factors like age and religiosity influence physicians' stances on PAS.
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