Awareness and Attitude of Select Professionals toward Euthanasia in Delhi, India.
BACKGROUND
The topic of euthanasia has induced differences not only among professionals in the medical fraternity but also in other fields as well. The dying process is being lengthened by the new state of art technologies erupting as such higher pace, and it is at the expense of standard quality of life and of a gracious death.


OBJECTIVE
To study the awareness and attitude toward euthanasia among select professionals in Delhi.


METHODS
It was a questionnaire-based descriptive cross-sectional study. The study population included doctors, nurses, judges, lawyers, journalist, and social activists of Delhi. Tool included a sociodemographic questionnaire, two questions to know awareness regarding euthanasia and a modified euthanasia attitude scale used to measure attitude toward euthanasia. Data were analyzed using Stata 11.2.


RESULTS
Through our study, it is evident that professionals who participated in the study (judges, advocates, doctors, nurses, journalists, and social activists) in Delhi were familiar with the term euthanasia. No significant difference was seen in the attitude of professionals of different age group and sex toward euthanasia.


CONCLUSIONS
Through this study, it is found that judiciary group most strongly endorsed euthanasia. The attitude of doctors was elicited from mixed group with doctors belonging to different specialties. Oncologists are not in favor of any form of euthanasia. However, doctors from other specialties did support euthanasia.
Department of Hospital Administration, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Sheetal
S
Singh
Department of Hospital Administration, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Shakti
S
Gupta
Department of Hospital Administration, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
I B
IB
Singh
Department of Hospital Administration, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Nirupam
N
Madaan
Attitude; Euthanasia; Letting die; Mercy killing; Palliative care