Table 1 Background characteristics of respondents

Gender

<0.05

• Men

63

36

70

58

• Women

36

65

30

42

Age (years)

≥0.05

• <40

20

31

13

21

• 41-50

32

33

40

35

• 51-60

41

35

41

39

• >60

7

1

6

5

Employment

<0.05

• full-time

54

27

80

55

• part-time

43

71

20

45

Grade given for own knowledge before completing the questionnaire (1-10)

<0.05

• <5.5

3

2

9

4

• 5.5-6.5

13

6

15

11

• 6.6-7.5

56

52

39

50

• 7.6-8.5

27

38

29

30

• 8.6-10

2

3

8

4

Grade given for own knowledge after completing the questionnaire (1-10)

<0.05

• <5.5

2

1

13

5

• 5.5-6.5

10

9

17

12

• 6.6-7.5

53

53

39

49

• 7.6-8.5

33

34

28

32

• 8.6-10

2

3

5

3

Received specific education in palliative care apart from regular medical education

77

90

43

<0.05

71

Number of patients to whom the respondent had prescribed opioids in 2008

≥0.05

• None

0

2

3

1

• 1-5

5

2

13

6

• 6-20

43

28

24

33

• 21-50

35

46

20

34

• >50

16

21

42

25

Number of deaths after a sickbed (non-sudden) in 2008 while being treating physician

<0.05

• None

0

0

11

3

• 1-5

35

5

15

21

• 6-20

59

39

49

50

• 21-50

6

47

17

21

• >50

1

9

9

5

Percentage of these patients that were using opioids at the moment of death ^‡

<0.05

• None

1

1

8

2

• 1-40%

17

16

36

22

• 41-80%

46

66

42

51

• 81-100%

37

17

14

25