SCENARIO NO. | CLINICAL PRACTICES AT THE END OF LIFE | CURRENT LEGAL STATUS AT THE TIME OF THE STUDY | THINK THE PRACTICE IS CURRENTLY LEGAL, N (%) | THINK THE PRACTICE WOULD BE AUTHORIZED IF MEDICAL AID IN DYING WERE LEGALIZED, N (%)* |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Withdrawal of potentially life-prolonging treatment | Legal | 147 (54.2) | 220 (81.2) |
2 | Use of opioids adjusted to symptom relief | Legal | 224 (82.7) | 216 (92.3) |
3 | Use of potentially lethal medication above what is needed for symptom relief • administered by the patient (oral barbiturates) | Illegal | 4 (1.5) | 59 (21.8) |
4 | • administered by the health care professional (intravenous opioids above what is needed for symptom relief) | Illegal | 4 (1.5) | 107 (39.5) |
5 | • administered by the health care professional (barbiturates and a neuromuscular blocking agent) | Illegal | 2 (0.7) | 74 (27.3) |
6 | • administered by the health care professional upon a relative’s request (barbiturates and a neuromuscular blocking agent) | Illegal | 1 (0.4) | 88 (34.6) |
↵* Totals for each characteristic might be different owing to missing data.