BMJ  2005;331:691-693 (24 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7518.691

Education and debate

Taking the final step: changing the law on euthanasia and physician assisted suicide

Dutch experience of monitoring euthanasia

Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen, health scientist1, Agnes van der Heide, epidemiologist2, Martien T Muller, social gerontologist1, Mette Rurup, medical biologist1, Judith A C Rietjens, health scientist2, Jean-Jacques Georges, nursing scientist1, Astrid M Vrakking, sociologist2, Jacqueline M Cuperus-Bosma, lawyer1, Gerrit van der Wal, professor of social medicine1, Paul J van der Maas, professor of social medicine2

1 Department of Public and Occupational Health, Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, VU University Medical Centre, 1081 BT Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2 Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Correspondence to: B D Onwuteaka-Philipsen b.philipsen@vumc.nl

Doctors in the United Kingdom can accompany their patients every step of the way, up until the last. The law stops them helping their patients take the final step, even if that is the patient's fervent wish. Next month's debate in the House of Lords could begin the process of changing the law. To help doctors decide where they stand we publish a range of opinions

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

Physician assisted death is known to occur in several countries,1-5 and probably takes place in others, albeit with different frequencies. Three places have enacted a notification procedure to safeguard this practice: Oregon in the United States, Belgium, and the Netherlands.6-8 In the United Kingdom, a law on assisted dying for the terminally ill has been proposed and has stimulated much discussion.9-11 The Netherlands has had a formal procedure for reviewing cases of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide since 1991. The procedure has been evaluated and revised twice.12 We examine how well the Dutch system has ensured best practice and reporting of physician assisted suicide. Although the Dutch experience cannot solve the question whether legal regulation of assisted dying is desirable, it gives insight into the possibilities of achieving transparency, public oversight, and legal control.

Review procedure

In the Dutch review procedure, euthanasia is defined as purposely ending the life of someone at . . . [Full text of this article]

Effect on notification

Do reported cases differ?

Review of cases

Doctors' experiences and opinions

Success of review procedure


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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Buiting, H M, van der Heide, A, Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B D, Rurup, M L, Rietjens, J A C, Borsboom, G, van der Maas, P J, van Delden, J J M (2010). Physicians' labelling of end-of-life practices: a hypothetical case study. J. Med. Ethics 36: 24-29 [Abstract] [Full text]  
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  • Lanier, W. L., Berge, K. H. (2007). Physician Involvement in Capital Punishment: Simplifying a Complex Calculus. Mayo Clin Proc. 82: 1043-1046 [Full text]  
  • van der Heide, A., Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B. D., Rurup, M. L., Buiting, H. M., van Delden, J. J.M., Hanssen-de Wolf, J. E., Janssen, A. G.J.M., Pasman, H. R. W., Rietjens, J. A.C., Prins, C. J.M., Deerenberg, I. M., Gevers, J. K.M., van der Maas, P. J., van der Wal, G. (2007). End-of-Life Practices in the Netherlands under the Euthanasia Act. NEJM 356: 1957-1965 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Harris, D, Richard, B, Khanna, P (2006). Assisted dying: the ongoing debate.. Postgrad. Med. J. 82: 479-482 [Full text]  

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