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Table 4 Responses of physicians with or without special qualification in palliative care or pain medicine

From: Palliative care professionals’ willingness to perform euthanasia or physician assisted suicide

Question

Answer

Special qualification in palliative care n (%)

No special qualification in palliative care n (%)

Special qualification in pain medicine n (%)

No special qualification in pain medicine n (%)

No special qualification in either palliative care or pain medicine n (%)

1. A patient has an incurable, painful illness, from which they will die, for example cancer. Would you fulfill his wish and end his life using medication?

Yes

4 (3.7)**

10 (11.2)**

5 (8.3)

9 (6.5)

6 (12.8)

No

99 (90.8)**

65 (73.0)**

49 (81.7)

115 (83.3)

35 (74.5)

I don’t know

6 (5.5)**

14 (15.7)**

6 (10.0)

14 (10.1)

6 (12.8)

2. If this patient asks for it, would you give him lethal medication so that he can end his own life?

Yes

13 (11.9)

18 (20.2)

14 (23.3)

17 (12.3)

9 (19.1)

No

76 (69.7)

60 (67.4)

39 (65.0)

97 (70.3)

32 (68.1)

I don’t know

20 (18.3)

11 (12.4)

7 (11.7)

24 (17.4)

6 (12.8)

3. A patient has an incurable, painful illness, from which they will not die. Would you fulfill his wish and end his life using medication?

Yes

2 (1.8)

2 (2.2)

1 (1.7)

3 (2.2)

2 (4.3)

No

103 (94.5)

78 (87.6)

56 (93.3)

125 (90.6)

39 (83.0)

I don’t know

4 (3.7)

9 (10.1)

3 (5.0)

10 (7.2)

6 (12.8)

4. If this patient asks for it, would you give him lethal medication so that he can end his own life?

Yes

4 (3.7)

4 (4.5)

2 (3.3)

6 (4.3)

3 (6.4)

No

99 (90.8)

78 (87.6)

54 (90.0)

123 (89.1)

40 (85.1)

I don’t know

6 (5.5)

7 (7.9)

4 (6.7)

9 (6.5)

4 (8.5)

  1. **p ≤0.001 (regarding physicians with and without special qualification in palliative care)