Premium
Do we need education on right‐to‐die issues? Medical perspectives from A ustralia
Author(s) -
De Leo Diego,
Hawgood Jacinta,
Ide Naoko
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
asia‐pacific psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.654
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1758-5872
pISSN - 1758-5864
DOI - 10.1111/j.1758-5872.2011.00174.x
Subject(s) - curriculum , assisted suicide , quality of life (healthcare) , medicine , medical education , population , physician assisted suicide , psychology , gerontology , family medicine , nursing , psychiatry , pedagogy , environmental health
An increasing demand for physicians’ involvement in life‐ending decisions has led to extensive debate on euthanasia and right‐to‐die issues by social, political and medical groups. The C ommonwealth D epartment of H ealth and A ged C are commissioned an evaluation of the need to educate undergraduate medical students on suicide prevention, euthanasia and life‐ending issues. Methods Semi‐structured interviews were conducted on samples of medical school coordinators, medical students and general practitioners ( GPs ). Key academics in C urriculum and/or A ccreditation C ommittees from 10 of 15 A ustralian M edical S chools ( AMS ) participated in a survey on the possible implementation of suicide prevention, euthanasia and life‐ending issues in undergraduate courses. M edical students ( n = 373) were asked to rate their attitude toward the same issues. Twenty‐four GPs from six different states (rural/urban environments) were asked to rate the level of importance of a specific curriculum on suicide prevention, euthanasia and life‐ending issues. Results Medical students showed high interest in learning about euthanasia and life‐ending issues (76.8%), quality of life and quality of death (85.1%), and different types of euthanasia and physician‐assisted suicide (70%). They reported that physicians should be involved in ending‐life decisions (89%). Forty per cent of AMS thought education on euthanasia and life‐ending issues was essential. Fifty‐four per cent of GPs considered education in euthanasia and related issues a high priority. Discussion The increasing aging population and the high prevalence of chronic illness call for a growing involvement of physicians in this difficult area of medical practice. Globally, the need for undergraduate education on these matters is perceived as important and urgent.