title: Euthanasia and other end-of-life decisions in the Netherlands in 1990, 1995, and 2001.
abstract: Empirical data on the rate of euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and other end-of-life decisions have greatly contributed to the debate about the role of such practices in modern health care. In the Netherlands, the continuing debate about whether and when physician-assisted dying is acceptable seems to be resulting in a gradual stabilisation of end-of-life practices. We replicated interview and death-certificate studies done in 1990 and 1995 to investigate whether end-of-life practices had altered between 1995 and 2001. Since 1995, the demand for physician-assisted death has not risen among patients and physicians, who seem to have become somewhat more reluctant in their attitude towards this practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine and Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, Vrije Universitat University Medical Center, van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, Netherlands. b.philipsen.emgo@med.vu.nl <b.philipsen.emgo@med.vu.nl>
authors.forename: Bregje D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Onwuteaka-Philipsen
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Heide
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koper
authors.forename: Ingeborg
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Keij-Deerenberg
authors.forename: Judith A C
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rietjens
authors.forename: Mette L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rurup
authors.forename: Astrid M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vrakking
authors.forename: Jean Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Georges
authors.forename: Martien T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van der Wal
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: van der Maas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002423:Cause of Death; D003644:Death Certificates; D003657:Decision Making; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D012297:Right to Die; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires