BMJ  2007;335:625-626 (29 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.39336.629271.BE

Editorials

Physician assisted death in vulnerable populations

Claims of increased risk in these groups are not supported by evidence

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

Physician assisted death (both voluntary active euthanasia and physician assisted suicide) has been openly practised in the Netherlands for more than 25 years and formally legalised since 2002. The practice has been analysed in four major national studies between 1990 and 2007.^{1 2} A more restricted form of physician assisted death (physician assisted suicide only) was legalised in Oregon in 1997 and is the subject of an annual report (www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/index.shtml). Although these studies do little to resolve the moral and religious questions surrounding these practices, they do answer the following questions about the risks and benefits of legalisation.

Will these practices become more common over time in a permissive environment? In Oregon, physician assisted death accounts for around one in 1000 deaths each year, with no significant change in frequency over nine years. All patients have met the necessary criteria, and more than 85% were also enrolled in hospice programmes. In . . . [Full text of this article]

University of Rochester School of Medicine, Box 601, Rochester, NY 14642, USA

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

There is more to vulnerability

Andrew Thorns
bmj.com, 1 Oct 2007 [Full text]

Don't be fooled into accepting doctor-assisted dying

Stephen MW Hutchison
bmj.com, 1 Oct 2007 [Full text]

Concerns not dispelled

Desmond O'Neill
bmj.com, 3 Oct 2007 [Full text]

Mentally ill given short shrift

Madelyn H. Hicks
bmj.com, 10 Oct 2007 [Full text]

Medical and nursing professions must collaborate on assisted dying

John G Hunt
bmj.com, 15 Oct 2007 [Full text]