[The euthanasia law and professional experiences: tensions in clinical practice].

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Healthcare Policy
• Sociology of Health

Context:

• Assisted death provision in Catalonia involves complex multi-stage processes.
• Healthcare professionals face multifaceted challenges during assisted death procedures.

Purpose:

• To analyze the assisted death process in Catalonia.
• Identify tensions, difficulties, and sources of discomfort for professionals.

Summary:

• The assisted death process includes request reception, medical-bureaucratic steps, the procedure itself, and closure.
• Difficulties stem from legal-moral conflicts, professional role ambiguity, lack of support, and patient/family interactions.
• Bureaucratic stress is heightened by a protective law and an overburdened healthcare system.

Impact:

• Findings highlight diverse psychological, psychosocial, and structural sources of distress.
• Results inform interventions for professional support, training, and institutional improvements.