A Survey of Attitudes of Physicians at Bangna Hospital toward PAS (Physician-Assisted Suicide) and Euthanasia

Abstract

This study is to assess the attitudes of Thai physicians at Bangna Hospital (Samutprakarn province, Thailand) toward euthanasia and PAS (physician-assisted suicide). The study utilized cross-sectional and non-random quota sampling, by manually distributing quistionnaires to physicians at Bangna Hospital, until the number equaled thirty. Then the data was manually collected, after the participants had finished their answers, whether immediately or a few days later.

In terms of findings, the larger group of participants agreed on the justification for euthanasia, but not for PAS. Although they did not want to participate in either euthanasia or PAS, they thought that both should be legal. In addition, they agreed that patients might request PAS, because of concerns about being a burden or financial pressures and that competent, termianlly ill patients, had the right to terminate thier lives.

This study not only refleted attitudes according to the objectives planned, but also implied some characteristics of Thai physicians and the developing stages of Thai legal and medical environments, involving the issues that needed further extensive research. Finally, there remains a lot of work to be done before euthanasia and PAS can be justifiably managed--both in principle and practice.