Table 1 Experiences with end-of-life decisions (weighted rounded percentages). Missing observations per country: between 28 and 137 for withholding and withdrawing treatment; between 15 and 308 for intensifying treatment of pain and symptoms; between 0 and 64 for deep sedation; between 0 and 60 for receiving a request and between 65 and 330 for ending of life on request.
Au (n = 1478) | Be (n = 1750) | CH (n = 1397) | DK (n = 1217) | IT (n = 1508) | NL (n = 1275) | SE (n = 1514) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | 95%CI | % | 95%CI | % | 95%CI | % | 95%CI | % | 95%CI | % | 95%CI | % | 95%CI | |
Withholding and/or withdrawing treatment taking into account the probability or certainty that this would hasten the end of the patient's life | ||||||||||||||
- ever | 77 | 70–84 | 80 | 73–88 | 78 | 72–84 | 86 | 78–95 | 37 | 34–41 | 82 | 74–89 | 72 | 66–78 |
- never, but would be willing to do so under certain conditions | 17 | 14–21 | 17 | 13–20 | 19 | 16–21 | 11 | 7–14 | 38 | 35–41 | 18 | 14–22 | 24 | 20–28 |
- never, and would never do so | 6 | 4–8 | 3 | 1–4 | 4 | 2–5 | 4 | 1–6 | 24 | 22–27 | 1 | 0.2–1 | 5 | 3–6 |
Intensifying the alleviation of pain and/or symptoms by using drugs, taking into account the probability or certainty that this would hasten the end of the patient's life | ||||||||||||||
- ever | 83 | 75–90 | 92 | 83–99 | 71 | 66–77 | 95 | 86–99 | 57 | 53–61 | 94 | 86–99 | 64 | 58–70 |
- never, but would be willing to do so under certain conditions | 13 | 10–16 | 8 | 8–10 | 23 | 20–26 | 3 | 1–5 | 26 | 23–29 | 5 | 3–7 | 26 | 22–30 |
- never, and would never do so | 4 | 2–6 | 1 | 0.1–2 | 5 | 5–8 | 2 | 1–4 | 17 | 15–19 | 1 | 0.1–1 | 10 | 8–13 |
Administering drugs to keep a patient in deep sedation until death, without giving (artificial) hydration or nutrition | ||||||||||||||
- ever | 28 | 23–32 | 32 | 27–37 | 26 | 22–29 | 31 | 25–36 | 12 | 11–14 | 46 | 39–52 | 20 | 17–23 |
- never‡ | 72 | 65–80 | 68 | 61–75 | 74 | 69–80 | 70 | 62–77 | 88 | 83–93 | 55 | 48–61 | 80 | 74–87 |
Receiving an explicit request from a patient to administer, prescribe or supply drugs with the explicit intention of hastening the end of life | ||||||||||||||
- ever | 36 | 31–41 | 40 | 34–45 | 37 | 33–41 | 34 | 28–39 | 14 | 12–16 | 71 | 63–78 | 24 | 20–27 |
-never | 64 | 58–71 | 60 | 54–67 | 63 | 58–68 | 66 | 59–74 | 86 | 81–91 | 30 | 25–34 | 76 | 70–83 |
Administering, prescribing or supplying drugs with the explicit intention of hastening the end of life on the explicit request of a patient | ||||||||||||||
- ever | 7 | 4–9 | 19 | 15–24 | 9 | 7–11 | 14 | 10–19 | † | 56 | 48–63 | 1 | 0.4–2 | |
- never, but would be willing to do so under certain conditions | 28 | 23–32 | 45 | 39–51 | 32 | 29–36 | 24 | 18–29 | † | 29 | 25–34 | 15 | 12–17 | |
- never, and would never do so | 66 | 59–73 | 36 | 30–41 | 59 | 53–64 | 62 | 54–70 | † | 15 | 12–18 | 84 | 78–91 | |