@article{ref1,
title="Legalizing assisted suicide - Views of physicians in Oregon",
journal="New England journal of medicine",
year="1996",
author="Lee, M.A. and Nelson, H.D. and Tilden, V.P. and Ganzini, L. and Schmidt, T.A. and Tolle, S.W.",
volume="334",
number="5",
pages="310-315",
abstract="Background. Since the Oregon Death with Dignity Act was passed in November 1994, physicians in Oregon have faced the prospect of legalized physician- assisted suicide. We studied the attitudes and current practices of Oregon physicians in relation to assisted suicide. <br><br>METHODS. From March to June 1995, we conducted a cross-sectional mailed survey of all physicians who might be eligible to prescribe a lethal dose of medication if the Oregon law is upheld. Physicians were asked to complete and return a confidential 56-item questionnaire. <br><br>RESULTS. Of the 3944 eligible physicians who received the questionnaire, 2761 (70 percent) responded. Sixty percent of the respondents thought physician-assisted suicide should be legal in some cases, and nearly half (46 percent) might be willing to prescribe a lethal dose of medication if it were legal to do so; 31 percent of the respondents would be unwilling to do so on moral grounds. Twenty-one percent of the respondents have previously received requests for assisted suicide, and 7 percent have complied. Half the respondents were not sure what to prescribe for this purpose, and 83 percent cited financial pressure as a possible reason for such requests. The respondents also expressed concern about complications of suicide attempts and doubts about their ability to predict survival at six months accurately. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS. Oregon physicians have a more favorable attitude toward legalized physician-assisted suicide, are more willing to participate, and are currently participating in greater numbers than other surveyed groups of physicians in the United States. A sizable minority of physicians in Oregon objects to legalization and participation on moral grounds. Regardless of their attitudes, physicians had a number of reservations about the practical applications of the act.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0028-4793",
doi="10.1056/NEJM199602013340507",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199602013340507"
}