title: The first five years of euthanasia legislation in Belgium and the Netherlands: description and comparison of cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Netherlands and Belgium legalized euthanasia in 2002.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study we describe and compare cases of reported euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the first 5 years of legislation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The databases of the cases reported in Belgium and the Netherlands were made available by the review committees. We compared characteristics of all cases reported between September 2002-December 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the Netherlands 10,319 cases were reported, in Belgium 1917. Gender and age distributions were similar in both countries. Most patients suffered from cancer (83-87%), but patients more often suffered from diseases of the nervous system in Belgium (8.3% vs. 3.9%). In the Netherlands, reported euthanasia more often occurred at home compared with Belgium (81% vs. 42%), where it occurred more often in hospital (52% vs. 9%). In the Netherlands, all cases were based on the oral request of a competent patient. In Belgium, 2.1% of the reported cases was based on an advance directive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that countries debating legislation must realise that the rules and procedures for euthanasia they would agree upon and the way they are codified or not into law may influence the practice that develops once the legislation is effected or what part of that practice is reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mette L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rurup
authors.forename: Tinne
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Smets
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bilsen
authors.forename: Bregje D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Onwuteaka-Philipsen
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deliens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult