[End-of-life medical decisions: study of physician's opinions in four Italian centres].
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.
Canova
Cristina
C
Dipartimento medicina ambientale, Università degli studi di Padova. cristina.canova@unipd.it
Miccinesi
Guido
G
Bensenati
Patrizia
P
Franchini
Silva
S
Piffer
Silvano
S
Simonato
Lorenzo
L
Tessari
Roberta
R
Valenti
Danila
D
Paci
Eugenio
E
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*