Euthanasia: the role of good care

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Thanatology
• Medical Ethics

Background:

• The argument that hospice care reduces the desire for euthanasia is used against its legalization.
• Previous research suggests a link between quality end-of-life care and reduced requests for euthanasia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the complex relationship between hospice care and the expressed desire for euthanasia.
• To examine whether hospice care influences perceptions of the benefits of an earlier death.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of two surveys in England of individuals who knew patients who died in 1987 and 1990.
• Focus on a sample of 3696 deaths in 1990 across 20 health authorities.
• Statistical controls for variables like patient distress and dependency.

Main Results:

• Contrary to expectations, patients receiving hospice care were more likely to have respondents who felt an earlier death would have been preferable.
• This association persisted even after controlling for patient distress and dependency.
• The study suggests hospice care might empower patients to express fears and exercise choice, leading to euthanasia wishes as an assertion of control.

Conclusions:

• Hospice care's impact on the desire for euthanasia is more complex than previously assumed.
• The findings challenge the argument that hospice care negates the need for voluntary euthanasia legalization.
• Further research is needed to explore the potential influence on patients' own wishes, considering the temporal order of events.