Attitudes about withholding or withdrawing life-prolonging treatment, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and physician assisted suicide: a cross-sectional survey among the general public in Croatia

Borovečki, Ana; Ćurković, Marko; Nikodem, Krunoslav; Orešković, Stjepan; Novak, Milivoj; Rubić, Filip; Vuković, Jurica; Špoljar, Diana; Gordijn, Bert; Gastmans, Chris

doi:10.1186/s12910-022-00751-6

Cited by 10 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Below we summarize the main tendencies in the responses. However, one of the most striking findings is the large variation in the answers, as also found in other studies [13][14][15][16][17]. We will return to this finding in the discussion of implications for practice.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

“…In a Dutch study, more than half of respondents would refuse life-prolonging treatment for themselves in case of advanced cancer or advanced dementia [13]. Several studies, however, show that respondents are sensitive to how scenarios and decisions are described, and that there is significant variation in attitudes with a minority apparently not being accepting of NTDs [13][14][15][16][17].…”

Section: European Citizens' Attitudes To Non-treatment Decisionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Citizen attitudes to non-treatment decision making: a Norwegian survey

et al. 2023

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Background Decisions about appropriate treatment at the end of life are common in modern healthcare. Non-treatment decisions (NTDs), comprising both withdrawal and withholding of (potentially) life-prolonging treatment are in principle accepted in Norway. However, in practice they may give rise to significant moral problems for health professionals, patients and next of kin. Here, patient values must be considered. It is relevant to study the moral views and intuitions of the general population on NTDs and special areas of contention such as the role of next of kin in decision-making. Methods Electronic survey to members of a nationally representative panel of Norwegian adults. Respondents were presented with vignettes describing patients with disorders of consciousness, dementia, and cancer where patient preferences varied. Respondents answered ten questions about the acceptability of non-treatment decision making and the role of next of kin. Results We received 1035 complete responses (response rate 40.7%). A large majority, 88%, supported the right of competent patients to refuse treatment in general. When an NTD was in line with the patient’s previously expressed preferences, more respondents tended to find NTDs acceptable. More respondents would accept NTDs for themselves than for the vignette patients. In a scenario with an incompetent patient, clear majorities wanted the views of next of kin to be given some but not decisive weight, and more weight if concordant with the patient’s wishes. There were, however, large variations in the respondents’ views. Conclusion This survey of a representative sample of the Norwegian adult population indicates that attitudes to NTDs are often in line with national laws and guidelines. However, the high variance among the respondents and relatively large weight given to next of kin’s views, indicate a need for appropriate dialogue among all stakeholders to prevent conflicts and extra burdens. Furthermore, the emphasis given to previously expressed opinions indicates that advance care planning may increase the legitimacy of NTDs and prevent challenging decision-making processes.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Section: European Citizens' Attitudes To Non-treatment Decisionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Citizen attitudes to non-treatment decision making: a Norwegian survey

et al. 2023

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“…Studies in diverse populations by seeking research across populations with different ages, rural and urban settings, and countries beyond the United States were selected. 10,[16][17][18][19][20][21]…”

Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

End-of-Life Care Planning in Diverse Individuals Across Age Groups

Rahemi

Malatyali

Wiese

et al. 2023

Journal of Nursing Care Quality

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Background: End-of-life planning helps nurses meet the needs of their patients at a crucial time of life. Purpose: This article presents a conceptual model of end-of-life care planning for nurses, especially those in palliative and hospice care, focusing on holistic nursing views. Methods: Based on a literature review, we developed a new conceptual model illustrating the concepts and dimensions of end-of-life care planning among diverse individuals across countries, life spans and age groups, ethnographies, and residential statuses.Results: This conceptual model includes 3 concepts: personal factors, stakeholders, and environmental and social factors. Each concept encompasses multiple dimensions. The concepts are interrelated and directly related to end-of-life care planning. Conclusion: This work addresses the need for a comprehensive end-of-life care planning model and can help enhance the quality of end-of-life care. This article identifies implications for nursing education, practice, and research.

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“…Studies in other countries also indicate that the level of acceptance for this type of practice is still not high. For example, studies conducted on a random sample of adult citizens in the Republic of Croatia showed a low level of acceptance for withholding or withdrawing life-prolonging treatment, euthanasia, assisted suicide and physician-assisted suicide [26]. Results from a poll conducted in the UK by the Royal College of Nursing indicated that 40% of nurses were against assisted suicide, while 49% of nurses supported this action [27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%