Medical students' attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide.
BACKGROUND
In November 1994, Oregon became the first US state to legalize physician-assisted suicide (PAS) as an option for end-of-life care.


OBJECTIVE
This study compares the attitudes and experiences of medical students in Oregon regarding PAS to those of fourth-year medical students in the United States outside Oregon.


METHODS
A survey of all students at the Oregon Health Sciences University and fourth-year medical students at 3 non-Oregonian US medical schools.


METHODS
Oregon medical students returned 227 questionnaires (58%), and 113 were returned from control schools (33%).


RESULTS
A similar percentage of both study groups favored the legalization of PAS (64% vs 66%; P = .74). If the practice were legal, 55% of the total surveyed reported they "might be willing to write a lethal prescription," (50% Oregon students vs 60% control; P = .13 and 44% fourth-year Oregon students vs 60% control; P = .04). Among fourth-year students, 20% reported a request by a patient to the student or a preceptor for a lethal prescription in the past year (26% vs 16%; P = .09).


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates support for and willingness by many medical students to participate in PAS. Some medical students reported observation of PAS during their training experience. Fourth-year Oregon students reported significantly less willingness than other students to provide a patient with a lethal prescription, perhaps indicating hesitancy to include PAS in clinical practice.
Mangus
R S
RS
The Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, USA.
Dipiero
A
A
Hawkins
C E
CE
D001290:Attitude; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D009922:Oregon; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States