Table 1 Key questions relevant for statistical analysis

(1) “Did you or another physician perform or did you make sure that one of the following actions would be performed: a) Withholding of treatment b) Withdrawing of treatment.”

(2) In case of withholding/withdrawing a treatment: “Did you or another physician assume that this action will probably or certainly hasten the death of the patient?”

(3) “Was death the consequence of withholding/withdrawing a treatment with the explicit intention to hasten death?”

Due to the structure of the questionnaire, we were only able to analyse the decision-making for the decisions on treatment limitation that were the limitations mentioned last and, therefore, the most important.