How Hawaii's doctors feel about physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia: an overview.
We polled, by questionnaire, all doctors and medical trainees in Hawaii (n = 3,017) to determine their attitudes towards physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia and other end-of-life medical issues. One thousand and twenty-eight (34.1%) responded. Medical trainees did not differ significantly from practicing physicians. Only a minority of respondents (15.6%) were willing to assist a terminally-ill patient to commit suicide. An even smaller number (9.8) would perform active euthanasia. On the other hand, an overwhelming majority would withhold (97.6%) or withdraw (78.6%) life-support upon request. Most doctors (88.0%) were also willing to administer high doses of narcotics for pain relief, even if such therapy hastened death. About half the doctors felt that physician-assisted suicide and active euthanasia may be justified under some circumstances, although most were unwilling to personally carry out these acts. Catholic, Filipino and Hawaiian/Polynesian doctors were statistically less likely to approve of or perform physician-assisted suicide or active euthanasia.
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University of Hawaii, Integrated Medical Residency Program, Honolulu, USA.
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D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel / Q000208:ethnology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003625:Data Collection; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000523:psychology*; D006254:Hawaii; D006801:Humans; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000523:psychology*