@article{ref1,
title="Euthanasia, assisted suicide and end-of-life care: attitudes of students, residents and attending physicians",
journal="Puerto Rico health sciences journal",
year="2006",
author="Ramírez-Rivera, José and Cruz, Juan and Jaume-Anselmi, Francisco",
volume="25",
number="4",
pages="325-329",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Attitudes in regard to end-of life issues are evolving in Western societies. We have sought to trace this evolution in the relatively homogeneous cultural setting of Puerto Rico. METHODS: One hundred fifty-two medical students, 62 medical residents and 84 members of three medical faculties were asked whether in terminally ill patients they: 1) would support a request for euthanasia(E); 2) if legalized, would engage in, would oppose or would not be opposed to others engaging physician-assisted suicide(PAS); 3) would consider ethical to prescribe full doses of drugs needed to alleviate pain, even if they knew it would hasten death; 4) would agree to limit certain resources for the terminally ill. Gender and religious affiliation were also requested. RESULTS: Twenty-eight percent of the students, 26% of the residents and 31% of the faculty supported E. Only 13% of the students, 18% of the residents and 11% of the faculty would engage in PAS. Men were more willing than women to acquiesce to a request for E or PAS. Religious affiliation or its absence did not influence the support or opposition to E and PAS. If it would hasten death, 86% of the residents, but only 65% of the faculty considered ethical to prescribe the dose of drugs needed to alleviate pain. More than 2/3 of the students, residents and faculty favored the limiting of certain resources for the terminally ill. CONCLUSIONS: In our cultural and medical environment, men are more willing than women to engage in E or PAS. The attitude towards E and PAS is not influenced by religious affiliation. If it hastens death, some still consider unethical to prescribe full doses of drugs needed to alleviate pain in the dying patient.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0738-0658",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}