Requests for euthanasia in general practice before and after implementation of the Dutch Euthanasia Act

What medical conditions lead to a request for euthanasia? A rapid scoping review

Background and Aims

Euthanasia is a controversial issue related to the right to die. Although euthanasia is mostly requested by terminally sick individuals, even in societies where it is legal, it is unclear what medical conditions lead to euthanasia requests. In this scoping review, we aimed to compile medical conditions for which euthanasia has been requested or performed around the world.

Methods

The review was preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. Retrieved search results were screened and unrelated documents were excluded. Data on reasons for conducting or requesting euthanasia along with the study type, setting, and publication year were extracted from documents. Human development index and euthanasia legality were also extracted. Major medical fields were used to categorize reported reasons. Group discussions were conducted if needed for this categorization. An electronic search was undertaken in MEDLINE through PubMed for published documents covering the years January 2000 to September 2022.

Results

Out of 3323 records, a total of 197 papers were included. The most common medical conditions in euthanasia requests are cancer in a terminal phase (45.4%), Alzheimer's disease and dementia (19.8%), constant unbearable physical or mental suffering (19.8%), treatment-resistant mood disorders (12.2%), and advanced cardiovascular disorders (12.2%).

Conclusion

Reasons for euthanasia are mostly linked to chronic or terminal physical conditions. Psychiatric disorders also lead to a substantial proportion of euthanasia requests. This review can help to identify the features shared by conditions that lead to performing or requesting euthanasia.

Dignity in nursing: A bibliometric and visual analysis of scientific publications

BACKGROUND

Dignity-conserved nursing has been widely studied by scholars all over the world; however, there is no clear direction in which this field is trending.

AIM

To conduct a bibliometric analysis that systematically characterises publications on dignity research in the nursing field from 2011 to 2020.

DESIGN

Bibliometric and visual analysis of retrieved articles.

METHODS

The Web of Science Core Collection database was used to retrieve all articles which addressed dignity in nursing from 2011 to 2020. The WoSCC's own analysis tool, CiteSpace and VOSviewer, were used to obtain visual analysis results. Reporting follows the STROBE checklist.

RESULTS

A total of 1429 papers on dignity care are included in this study. We found that the number of papers on this topic increased steadily, and the United States topped the list with 366 articles in total. The institute with the most publications was King's College London, and the most widely published journal was Nursing Ethics. We were able to identify four major research topics, namely dignity in: (a) palliative care, (b) dementia and the elderly, (c) health care and (d) nursing ethics. Terminally ill patient, home, value, rehabilitation and psychological distress were the five keywords with the highest burst strength.

CONCLUSIONS

The interest in dignity care research has been steadily increasing from 2011 and is reflected in the number of published papers. The United States and Western Europe are leading in this field, both having a high number of cutting-edge researchers and high-level scientific research institutions. In the domain of dignity care, several stable and high-yield core author groups have been formed. While the existing research mainly focuses on four hot spots, psychological distress, advanced cancer, maternity care and content analysis may be the research frontiers.

Physician-Assisted Dying: Acceptance by Physicians Only for Patients Close to Death

This study reports on German physicians' views on legalization of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, comparing this with a similar survey of UK doctors. A questionnaire was handed out to attendants of a palliative care and a pain symposium. Complete answers were obtained from 137 physicians. Similar to the UK study, about 30% of the physicians surveyed support euthanasia in case of terminal illness and more support physician-assisted suicide. In contrast, in both countries, a great majority of physicians oppose medical involvement in hastening death in non-terminal illnesses. The public and parliamentary discussion should face this opposition to assisted suicide by pain and palliative specialists.

The right to live or die? A perspective on voluntary euthanasia

"It is choice alone that is being honored, without regards for what is chosen." The debate on euthanasia in medical community stays unresolved. In this manuscript, we present arguments for and against euthanasia, review arguments from both the sides and conclude it with our opinion.

End-of-life communication: a retrospective survey of representative general practitioner networks in four countries

CONTEXT

Effective communication is central to high-quality end-of-life care.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the prevalence of general practitioner (GP)-patient discussion of end-of-life topics (according to the GP) in Italy, Spain, Belgium, and The Netherlands and associated patient and care characteristics.

METHODS

This cross-sectional, retrospective survey was conducted with representative GP networks. Using a standardized form, GPs recorded the health and care characteristics in the last three months of life, and the discussion of 10 end-of-life topics, of all patients who died under their care. The mean number of topics discussed, the prevalence of discussion of each topic, and patient and care characteristics associated with discussions were estimated per country.

RESULTS

In total, 4396 nonsudden deaths were included. On average, more topics were discussed in The Netherlands (mean=6.37), followed by Belgium (4.45), Spain (3.32), and Italy (3.19). The topics most frequently discussed in all countries were "physical complaints" and the "primary diagnosis," whereas "spiritual and existential issues" were the least frequently discussed. Discussions were most prevalent in The Netherlands, followed by Belgium. The GPs from all countries tended to discuss fewer topics with older patients, noncancer patients, patients with dementia, patients for whom palliative care was not an important treatment aim, and patients for whom their GP had not provided palliative care.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of end-of-life discussions varied across the four countries. In all countries, training priorities should include the identification and discussion of spiritual and social problems and early end-of-life discussions with older patients, those with cognitive decline if possible, and those with non-malignant diseases.

Physician-assisted dying and psychiatry: recent developments in The Netherlands

The Netherlands was one of the first countries in the world to establish a legal framework for physician-assisted dying (PAD). In this article, we provide an overview of the public, political, legal, and medical debates on physician-assisted dying in The Netherlands, focusing on the role of psychiatry and mental illness. The number of individuals with chronic mental illness requesting PAD has been relatively small (although the number can be expected to increase because of the activities of various civic organizations advocating the right to die) and Dutch psychiatrists have been extremely reluctant to respond to such requests. Nevertheless, mental conditions have been central to the public debate on PAD by helping to define the nature and limits of current legislation and professional practice. Although a few Dutch psychiatrists have campaigned to increase the involvement of psychiatrists and many support PAD in principle, the majority has been hesitant to engage in PAD despite increasing public pressure.

End-of-life decisions: a cross-national study of treatment preference discussions and surrogate decision-maker appointments

BACKGROUND

Making treatment decisions in anticipation of possible future incapacity is an important part of patient participation in end-of-life decision-making. This study estimates and compares the prevalence of GP-patient end-of-life treatment discussions and patients' appointment of surrogate decision-makers in Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands and examines associated factors.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, retrospective survey was conducted with representative GP networks in four countries. GPs recorded the health and care characteristics in the last three months of life of 4,396 patients who died non-suddenly. Prevalences were estimated and logistic regressions were used to examine between country differences and country-specific associated patient and care factors.

RESULTS

GP-patient discussion of treatment preferences occurred for 10%, 7%, 25% and 47% of Italian, Spanish, Belgian and of Dutch patients respectively. Furthermore, 6%, 5%, 16% and 29% of Italian, Spanish, Belgian and Dutch patients had a surrogate decision-maker. Despite some country-specific differences, previous GP-patient discussion of primary diagnosis, more frequent GP contact, GP provision of palliative care, the importance of palliative care as a treatment aim and place of death were positively associated with preference discussions or surrogate appointments. A diagnosis of dementia was negatively associated with preference discussions and surrogate appointments.

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed a higher prevalence of treatment preference discussions and surrogate appointments in the two northern compared to the two southern European countries. Factors associated with preference discussions and surrogate appointments suggest that delaying diagnosis discussions impedes anticipatory planning, whereas early preference discussions, particularly for dementia patients, and the provision of palliative care encourage participation.

Recognising patients who will die in the near future: a nationwide study via the Dutch Sentinel Network of GPs

BACKGROUND

Recognising patients who will die in the near future is important for adequate planning and provision of end-of-life care. GPs can play a key role in this.

AIM

To explore the following questions: How long before death do GPs recognise patients likely to die in the near future? Which patient, illness, and care-related characteristics are related to such recognition? How does recognising death in the near future, before the last week of life, relate to care in during this period?

DESIGN AND SETTING

One-year follow-back study via a surveillance GP network in the Netherlands.

METHOD

Registration of demographic and care-related characteristics.

RESULTS

Of 252 non-sudden deaths, 70% occurred in the home or care home and 30% in hospital. GP recognition of death in the near future was absent in 30%, and occurred prior to the last month in 15%, within the last month in 19%, and in the last week in 34%. Logistic regression analyses showed cancer and low functional status were positively associated with death in the near future; cancer and discussing palliative care options were positively associated with recognising death in the near future before the last week of life. Recognising death in the near future before patients' last week of life was associated with fewer hospital deaths, more GP-patient contacts in the last week, more deaths in a preferred place, and more-frequent GP-patient discussions about specific topics in the last 7 days of life.

CONCLUSION

Recognising death in the near future precedes several aspects of end-of-life care. The proportion in whom death in the near future is never recognised is large, suggesting GPs could be assisted in this process through training and implementation of care protocols that promote timely recognition of the dying phase.

Use of palliative care services and general practitioner visits at the end of life in The Netherlands and Belgium

CONTEXT

At the end of life, some personalized and specialized care is required. The way that general practitioner (GP) visits and palliative care services at the end of life are organized in different countries may impact the frequency of care provision. However, nationwide data on the prevalence of these interventions and comparisons among countries are scarce.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the frequency of GP visits and use of palliative care services at the end of life in two European countries and identify the associated factors.

METHODS

In 2007, two mortality follow-back studies were conducted simultaneously in The Netherlands and Belgium, using existing Sentinel GP networks and similar standardized procedures. Within the one-year period, all registered patients who died at home or in a care home were selected.

RESULTS

From the data of 543 registered patients, GP visits were more frequent at the end of life in The Netherlands than in Belgium: the mean number of GP visits in the last week of life was 5.1 vs. 3.2 (home) and 4.4 vs. 2.3 (care home). Conversely, palliative care services in the last three months of life were used more frequently in Belgium than in The Netherlands: 78% vs. 41% (home) and 39% vs. 5% (care homes). The differences between countries remained consistent despite correcting for possible confounders. Having more frequent GP visits at home was associated with cancer-related deaths both in The Netherlands and Belgium.

CONCLUSION

Independent of the differences in patient populations (at home and care home) between countries, there are more frequent GP visits at the end of life in The Netherlands and greater use of palliative care services in Belgium.

Death by request in The Netherlands: facts, the legal context and effects on physicians, patients and families

In this article I intend to describe an issue of the Dutch euthanasia practice that is not common knowledge. After some general introductory descriptions, by way of formulating a frame of reference, I shall describe the effects of this practice on patients, physicians and families, followed by a more philosophical reflection on the significance of these effects for the assessment of the authenticity of a request and the nature of unbearable suffering, two key concepts in the procedure towards euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. This article does not focus on the arguments for or against euthanasia and the ethical justification of physician-assisted dying. These arguments have been described extensively in Kimsma and Van Leeuwen (Asking to die. Inside the Dutch debate about euthanasia, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1998).

Pain Challenges at the End of Life - Pain and Palliative Care Collaboration

Pain and symptom management at the end of life remains suboptimal.Pain physicians are uniquely placed to provide interventions for patients with difficult to manage pain.Interventions such as acupuncture, radiofrequency ablation, neurolysis together with regional analgesia including neuraxial techniques and spinal cordotomy may provide the patient with improved analgesia.