EAPC - ipac

422 EAPC Abstracts
minor patient has the right to know the prognosis. Conclusions: Secondary
school students find NTD and APS-requests by minors more acceptable
than euthanasia. Acceptability of ELD-requests varies with case characteristics,
with greater support in terminal situations with irreversible pain.
76 Oral Presentation
Ethics
Reporting of euthanasia and labeling of end-of-life practices: a
study of hypothetical cases
Authors: Hilde Buiting Department of Public Health Erasmus Medical
Center NETHERLANDS
Hans van Delden University Medical Center Utrecht, Julius Center for
Health Sciences Utrecht NETHERLANDS
Paul van der Maas Erasmus MC, Department of Public Health Rotterdam
NETHERLANDS
Bregje Onwuteaka-Philipsen Vrije Universiteit Medical Center Amsterdam
NETHERLANDS
Agnes van der Heide Erasmus MC, Department of Public Health Rotterdam
NETHERLANDS
Judith Rietjens Erasmus MC, Department of Public Health Rotterdam
NETHERLANDS
Background: In the Netherlands, euthanasia is defined as the deliberate
ending of life at the patient’s request. Physicians are required to report
euthanasia to judicial authorities in order to increase transparency and public
control. However, distinguishing between euthanasia and alleviation of
symptoms with hastening of death as a potential side effect, is sometimes
difficult. We examined which characteristics are associated with physicians’
willingness to report and the factors that contribute to physicians’
labeling as euthanasia or ending of life. Methods: Design Random stratified
sample of physicians (n=2100, response: 56%) Methods Physicians
received a questionnaire that randomly presented three cases out of 47 and
varied according to (1) type of medication, (2) physician’s intention, (3) the
kind of patient request, (4) patient’s life expectancy and (4) the time until
death. They were asked whether they would report this death and which
term would describe the act in the presented case best. We applied a logistic
regression analysis to assess the relative importance of each factor for
the physicians’ choice. Results: Physicians were most willing to report
cases that they labeled as euthanasia or ending of life. The factors that contributed
most to physicians’ labeling as euthanasia or ending of life were the
administration of muscle relaxants (OR for comparison with proportional
morphine=326, p