Letters
Legalised suicide may increase openness in the doctor-patient relationship
EDITOR,--In the editorial about Oregon's plans to legalise suicide assisted by doctor, Melinda A Lee and Susan W Tolle noted that a major advantage of legalisation is that it will increase openness about care at the end of patients' lives, enabling a doctor to improve skills in providing supportive care to dying patients.1 Data gathered on the attitudes of 57 patients in Scotland, all of whom were HIV antibody positive, suggest that the illegality of euthanasia in Britain constrains communication between patient and doctor.
A cohort of 57 people with HIV infection, which included all major transmission groups, was asked whether they had ever asked or thought of asking anyone for help in ending their life. Sixteen respondents (28%) indicated that they had. Three respondents had spoken about euthanasia with either their general practitioner, hospital based physician, or community nurse; three others said they would have liked to consult a
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- Oregon's plans to legalise suicide assisted by a doctor
- Melinda A Lee and Susan W Tolle
BMJ 1995 310: 613-614.[Extract] [Full Text]
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