@article{ref1,
title="Judgments of laypersons and general practitioners on justifiability and legality of providing assistance to die to a terminally ill patient: a view from New Zealand",
journal="Patient education and counseling",
year="2004",
author="Mitchell, Kay and Glynn Owens, R.",
volume="54",
number="1",
pages="15-20",
abstract="As part of a larger study, four decisions related to a vignette scenario of the elective death of a terminally ill patient suffering intractable pain are examined (doctor supplying information and drugs, assisting patient to take the drugs, or administering a lethal injection). Judgments on justifiability and legality of actions were obtained from laypersons and general practitioners (GPs) in Auckland, New Zealand. The results show that over 72% of laypersons and over 30% of GPs judged all four actions justified. Despite illegality a significant number of laypersons and some doctors were unsure of the legal status of actions. The current law in New Zealand prohibiting physician-assisted death may not reflect judgments by the majority of laypersons or 30% of general practitioners on the justifiability of elective death options for a terminally ill patient with intractable pain. Judgments on justifiability may be related to confusion over the legality of actions.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0738-3991",
doi="10.1016/S0738-3991(03)00167-8",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0738-3991(03)00167-8"
}