Euthanasia in Colombia: Experience in a palliative care program and bioethical reflections.

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Palliative Care
• End-of-Life Studies

Background:

• Growing prevalence of advanced chronic diseases necessitates expanded palliative care services.
• Colombian legislation supports palliative care, yet access remains limited, leading to deaths without specialized management.
• Euthanasia regulations create public confusion and ethical dilemmas for palliative care professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a bioethical analysis of the intersection between palliative care and euthanasia.
• To examine euthanasia requests within a palliative care program in Colombia.
• To explore palliative care's role in supporting patients who request euthanasia.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, descriptive observational study.
• Data collected from two highly complex hospitals in Bogotá, Colombia.
• Analysis of 50 euthanasia requests within a palliative care program.

Main Results:

• 62% of euthanasia requests met defined criteria, 16% did not, and 22% were not considered due to early death.
• All patients with euthanasia requests were managed and followed by a palliative care team until death.
• Palliative care provided crucial support in decision-making, suffering alleviation, and emotional care.

Conclusions:

• Palliative care can serve as complementary management for patients seeking euthanasia.
• Palliative care teams offer vital support throughout the end-of-life process, including during euthanasia requests.
• Addressing access barriers to palliative care is crucial for improving end-of-life care in Colombia.