Doctors' Perception of Assisted Death: The Effect of Career Stage

Introduction: Doctors' role in care is changing to the extent that their responsibility now includes not only preserving life and its quality but extends to end of life care as well. Patients -are now asking for more autonomy in choosing the how and when of end of life care and processes. Docto...

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Main Author: Smitha Bhat
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2020-01-01
Series:Biomedical Research Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.brjnmims.org/article.asp?issn=2349-3666;year=2020;volume=7;issue=2;spage=55;epage=59;aulast=Bhat
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spelling doaj-545037ba3e02419492190ce64fbc55f02021-01-08T03:00:07ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsBiomedical Research Journal2349-36662349-36742020-01-0172555910.4103/BMRJ.BMRJ_11_20Doctors' Perception of Assisted Death: The Effect of Career StageSmitha BhatIntroduction: Doctors' role in care is changing to the extent that their responsibility now includes not only preserving life and its quality but extends to end of life care as well. Patients -are now asking for more autonomy in choosing the how and when of end of life care and processes. Doctors have different opinions regarding these methods of assisted death , and these opinions are determined by various personal and professional factors. Indian literature regarding the influence of career stage on doctors' approach to assisted death is scanty and our project aimed to assess this influence, as well as find the reasons for favouring or not favouing the various modalities of assisted death. Materials and Methods: In this study, a prevalidated, piloted questionnaire regarding the different types of assisted death was administered by the interviewer to professors, associate professors, assistant professors, senior residents and post graduate residents of a medical college. Results: Post graduate residents, senior residents and Assistant professors opined that Legalization of DNR, Physician assisted suicide and euthanasia might be acceptable under certain circumstances. Reasons for favouring assisted death included medical futility and patient suffering. Those who opposed assisted death did so on the grounds of medical ethics and humanity. Conclusion: Junior cadres tended to be more accepting of assisted death than their more senior colleagues.http://www.brjnmims.org/article.asp?issn=2349-3666;year=2020;volume=7;issue=2;spage=55;epage=59;aulast=Bhatassisted deathcareer stageeuthanasia
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Smitha Bhat
spellingShingle Smitha Bhat
Doctors' Perception of Assisted Death: The Effect of Career Stage
Biomedical Research Journal
assisted death
career stage
euthanasia
author_facet Smitha Bhat
author_sort Smitha Bhat
title Doctors' Perception of Assisted Death: The Effect of Career Stage
title_short Doctors' Perception of Assisted Death: The Effect of Career Stage
title_full Doctors' Perception of Assisted Death: The Effect of Career Stage
title_fullStr Doctors' Perception of Assisted Death: The Effect of Career Stage
title_full_unstemmed Doctors' Perception of Assisted Death: The Effect of Career Stage
title_sort doctors' perception of assisted death: the effect of career stage
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
series Biomedical Research Journal
issn 2349-3666
2349-3674
publishDate 2020-01-01
description Introduction: Doctors' role in care is changing to the extent that their responsibility now includes not only preserving life and its quality but extends to end of life care as well. Patients -are now asking for more autonomy in choosing the how and when of end of life care and processes. Doctors have different opinions regarding these methods of assisted death , and these opinions are determined by various personal and professional factors. Indian literature regarding the influence of career stage on doctors' approach to assisted death is scanty and our project aimed to assess this influence, as well as find the reasons for favouring or not favouing the various modalities of assisted death. Materials and Methods: In this study, a prevalidated, piloted questionnaire regarding the different types of assisted death was administered by the interviewer to professors, associate professors, assistant professors, senior residents and post graduate residents of a medical college. Results: Post graduate residents, senior residents and Assistant professors opined that Legalization of DNR, Physician assisted suicide and euthanasia might be acceptable under certain circumstances. Reasons for favouring assisted death included medical futility and patient suffering. Those who opposed assisted death did so on the grounds of medical ethics and humanity. Conclusion: Junior cadres tended to be more accepting of assisted death than their more senior colleagues.
topic assisted death
career stage
euthanasia
url http://www.brjnmims.org/article.asp?issn=2349-3666;year=2020;volume=7;issue=2;spage=55;epage=59;aulast=Bhat
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