Attitudes of Dutch general practitioners and nursing home physicians to active voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide
B. D. Onwuteaka-Philipsen, M. T. Muller, G. van der Wal, J. T. van Eijk and M. W. Ribbe
Institute of Research in Extramural Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
OBJECTIVE: To gain insight into the attitudes of Dutch general
practitioners and nursing home physicians to voluntary active euthanasia
and physician-assisted suicide. DESIGN: Descriptive study. METHOD: Data
were collected by means of anonymous postal questionnaires to be completed
by a random sample of 521 general practitioners from the province of North
Holland, 521 general practitioners from the rest of the Netherlands, and
713 Dutch nursing home physicians who were members of the Dutch Association
of Nursing Home Physicians. RESULTS: The written responses of general
practitioners and nursing home physicians to six statements about voluntary
active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide showed that a large
majority had a fairly positive attitude to euthanasia and suicide. This
finding also emerged from the scores obtained on a scale compiled on the
basis of the statements. General practitioners and nursing home physicians
were more opposed to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide if they had
never performed it, if they belonged to a religious group, or if they were
older. CONCLUSION: Dutch general practitioners and nursing home physicians
have a fairly positive attitude toward euthanasia and physician-assisted
suicide. However, the majority of these physicians favor a policy of
voluntary active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide under strict
conditions.
