Physicians' attitude about euthanasia and assisted suicide

Karami Khodabakhsh, Cheraghi Maria* and Karami Nasibeh

Department of Public Health, Ahwaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahwaz, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: mariacheraghi@gmail.com.

Accepted 5 May, 2012

Abstract

This study was aimed to assess the physicians’ attitude on euthanasia and assisted suicide. This study was a cross-sectional study on 55 specialist doctors (Male and Female) about euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) who worked in different hospital in Ahwaz city 2010. We explained the terms of euthanasia and PAS individually and required their attitudes and practices. All data were entered in SPSS (version 11) and analyzed by descriptive statistics. Fifty-four (54) out of them (98%) believed that euthanasia and PAS were a violation of human dignity, that they would not be willing to provide these acts. All the 55 specialists agreed that euthanasia and assisted suicide were never ethically justified and stated that they were influenced by religious believes. Only 4 of them (7%) supported withdrawing life-sustaining interventions in cases of persistent vegetative state and by wishes requested of the family. This study has shown that 98% of specialist doctors believed euthanasia and PAS should not be legalized in any cases or situations. All off them believed that euthanasia and assisted suicide are never ethically justified, and mentioned that they were influenced by religious lives.

Key words:  Physicians, euthanasia, assisted suicide, Ahwaz.