PATIENTS VIEWS ABOUT PHYSICIAN PARTICIPATION IN ASSISTED SUICIDE AND EUTHANASIA

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the effect of physician participation in physi cian-assisted suicide and euthanasia on the physician-patient relation ship. DESIGN: A questionnaire administered to 228 adult patients. SETT ING: A university-based family practice training program. PATIENTS/PAR TICIPANTS: We approached 230 individuals of at least 18 years of age w ho were patients in the study practice. These individuals were selecte d on the basis of age and gender to ensure a heterogeneous study popul ation. Of these, 228 agreed to participate and completed the questionn aire. RESULTS: The majority of subjects felt that a physician who assi sts with suicide or performs euthanasia is capable of being a caring p erson (91% and 88%, respectively) and would still be able to offer emo tional support to surviving family members (85% and 76%, respectively) . Most also felt that a physician assisting in suicide or euthanasia w ould be as trustworthy as a nonparticipating physician to care for cri tically ill patients (90.5% and 84.6%, respectively). Five percent ''l ikely would not'' continue to see their physician if it was known that he or she assisted in suicide and 7.8% ''likely would not'' continue seeing their physician if it was known that this physician performed e uthanasia. No individuals stated that they ''definitely would not'' co ntinue seeing their doctor under either circumstance. Individuals who supported the ideas of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia were more likely to think that a physician who assisted with suicide and eu thanasia could perform well in the tasks noted above and would be more likely to continue seeing such a physician (p = .001) CONCLUSION: Par ticipating in physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia does not marke dly adversely affect the physician-patient relationship.