Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide: Attitudes of Irish consultant physicians

Introduction: This study examines the attitudes of Irish consultant physicians towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Methods: Data were collected between May and October 2016. A questionnaire was distributed to all consultant physicians listed in the Irish Medical Directory under general internal medicine specialties. Demographic details were collected. Likert-type questions assessed attitudes towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Results: The overall response rate was 28.7% (238/830). The majority, 67.2%, opposed legalising euthanasia, with 14% in favour and 18.8% remaining neutral. A majority, 56.3%, also opposed legalising physician-assisted suicide, while 17% were in favour and 26.7% remained neutral. Over one-third, 37.5%, had received a request from a patient to hasten that patient’s death. Receiving such a request did not significantly influence attitudes towards either euthanasia (p=0.53) or physician-assisted suicide (p=0.48). There was a significant association between self-expressed level of religiosity and opposition to both euthanasia (p<0.001) and physician-assisted suicide (p