title: [End-of-life medical decisions: study of physician's opinions in four Italian centres].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Knowing the physicians' opinions on end-of-life decisions.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2002, in the context of an European collaborative study (EURELD) a structured questionnaire has been sent to the physicians of the 9 specialties mostly involved in the assistance of terminal patients. The questionnaire asked to express an opinion on 13 statements on end-of-life decisions and to express his/her intention to behave about 4 hypothetical clinical cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  four Italian centres: Florence-Prato, Venice, Trento and Bologna.
  
  
  METHODS
  1508 questionnaires were studied, the response rate ranged between 34% (Firenze) to 50% (Trento).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the univariate analysis, there were no significant differences between centres for the 13 statements on end-of-life decisions. In all centres, about one third physicians accepted euthanasia; about one half supported advance directives whereas most physicians would have withheld treatment on the request of patient or intensified the alleviation of symptom and pain. The intended behaviours of withholding treatment, intensifying the alleviation of pain/symptoms, euthanasia, deep sedation until death were more frequently expressed in case of the request of patient than on the physicians own initiative or on request of the family
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The physicians' attitudes were homogeneous between the various centers and they may well be representative of the phenomenon which has been investigated, at least in Northern-Central Italy.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento medicina ambientale, Università degli studi di Padova. cristina.canova@unipd.it
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Canova
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Miccinesi
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bensenati
authors.forename: Silva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franchini
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piffer
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Simonato
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tessari
authors.forename: Danila
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Valenti
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003657:Decision Making; D005065:Euthanasia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*