Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-2001

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Human Ecology

Major Professor

Robert Kirk

Committee Members

Sandra Thomas, Bill Wallace, Robert Pursley

Abstract

Euthanasia and physician assisted death have been a source of debate since the time of Hippocrates. The debate has become a paramount issue in the last decade, however, little is known about physician's attitudes toward these parties and what, if any, role the physician should have when a terminally-ill patient requests death. Although there have been may studies of euthanasia and physician assisted death (PAD) in the United States, there is no data on physicians in practicing in Tennessee. A stratified random sample of 1,117 physieians was drawn from the Tennessee Licensing Bureau in the specialties of internal medicine, oncology, family practice, general practice and general surgery, the five specialties most likely to receive such a request.

A thirty item instrument seeking information which included demographics, attitudes toward euthanasia and PAD, basis for those attitudes, responses to possible legalization, willingness to participate in euthanasia / PAD, situations where euthanasia / PAD may be appropriate, patient autonomy, and views on restrictions and safeguards that might be a part of future legislation, was mailed in January 2001.

Only fully completed instruments were used to obtain data and SPSS software was utilized for data analysis. Logistic regression was used to investigate the independent variables of age, sex and religious influence. The replies of both those for and against euthanasia / PAD were analyzed to investigate situations where euthanasia / PAD may be appropriate, patient autonomy and the role of the physician to relieve pain and suffering, and which restrictions and safeguards thought to be important.

Tennessee physicians are highly polarized over the issues of euthanasia and assisted death. A slight majority, forty four percent, did not believe in euthanasia or assisted death and would oppose legalization. Of the physicians supporting euthanasia / PAD, only twenty five percent would administer a lethal overdose and less than a third would counsel or prescribe medication for an overdose. Attitudes were influenced by three primary factors: ethics, religious influence and the role of the physician to relieve pain and suffering. Regardless of their overall position, the majority of physicians agreed on basic restrictions and safeguards to prevent abuse(s) and protect vulnerable patients.

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