@article{ref1,
title="End-of-life decision-making: community and medical practitioners' perspectives",
journal="Medical journal of Australia",
year="1997",
author="Steinberg, M. A. and Najman, J. M. and Cartwright, C. M. and MacDonald, S. M. and Williams, G. M.",
volume="166",
number="3",
pages="131-135",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To examine current attitudes and knowledge of the community and medical practitioners in Queensland to end-of-life decisions. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey by postal questionnaire. PARTICIPANTS: 387 general practitioners and medical specialists and 910 community members from the Queensland electoral roll. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Responses to five questions about end-of-life decision-making, and to legislative changes relating to such decisions. RESULTS: The overall response rate for medical practitioners was 67% and for community members was 53%. 78% of community members (age adjusted) and 54% of doctors thought that a doctor should comply with a patient's request to turn off a life-support system; 68% of doctors through people would still ask to have their life ended even if pain were controlled, compared with 54% of community members; 70% of community members thought the law should be changed to allow active voluntary euthanasia, compared with 33% of doctors; and 65% of community members thought that a doctor should be allowed by law to assist a terminally ill person to die, but only 36% of doctors agreed. 79% of doctors and 75% of community members agreed that people would still ask for assistance to end their lives even if optimal palliative care were freely available. CONCLUSION: Community members supported greater choice and control over end-of-life decisions, while doctors were less supportive of some of the options canvassed. In a climate of community participation in health care decisions, it is important to better understand the basis and meaning of these different views. Further detailed research is recommended.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0025-729X",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}