VOLUNTARY ACTIVE EUTHANASIA AND PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE IN DUTCH NURSING-HOMES - REQUESTS AND ADMINISTRATION

Objective: To learn how many requests for voluntary active euthanasia and/or physician-assisted suicide (EAS) are made to Dutch nursing home physicians (NHPs) and how often these requests are honored. Design: R etrospective survey. Setting: The Netherlands. Participants: Al Dutch NHPs affiliated with the Dutch Association of Nursing Home Physicians (n = 713). Measurements: An anonymous postal questionnaire was sent to all Dutch NHPs affiliated with the Dutch Association of Nursing Home Physicians (n = 713). Respondents were asked how often they had receiv ed an explicit request for EAS and whether they had complied with that request. Those who had complied were asked questions about the last o ccasion on which they had administered either voluntary active euthana sia or physician-assisted suicide. Results: the response rate was 86% (n = 582). Of the respondents, 88% had never administered EAS in nursi ng homes. The remaining 12% (n = 69) had received 164 requests for vol untary active euthanasia and 53 requests for physician-assisted suicid e in the period 1986 through mid-1990. Of these requests, 74 were gran ted (51 voluntary active euthanasia and 23 physician-assisted suicide) . Dutch NHPs together receive an average of 300 requests for EAS a yea r. They comply with 25 of such requests annually. Conclusion: Not many requests for EAS are made in Dutch nursing homes. Of these requests, fewer than 1 in 10 results in the actual administration of EAS. The da ta presented are relatively constant for the 4.5-year period studied.