Background: Assisted dying is currently legal or de-criminalized in 11 countries worldwide under various names. Recently countries such as New Zealand, Spain and all Australian states have legalized the practice. In others, including The Netherlands and Belgium, assisted dying has been legal for a number of years. Although the views of physicians in many countries are well documented, the experiences of those involved in assisted dying are less reported.
Objective: To review existing literature reporting the experiences of physicians participating in assisted dying in countries where is it legal or de-criminalized. To observe common themes and whether these are different when the practice is established.
Findings: Three general topics of experiences were found: 1) Procedural including clinical problems and documentation. 2) Personal and professional challenges including the emotional burden, support systems, time and renumeration concerns. 3) Patient factors including willingness to participate and geography. Jurisdictions where assisted dying is more established had pathways for support which were utilized. There were still concerns over the emotional burden on practitioners for the sustainability of practice. Newer jurisdictions reflected discourse in incorporating assisted dying into existing practice which was not reflected in countries with more established practice.
Conclusion: As more countries consider law reform on assisted dying a more detailed understanding of practitioners’ experiences as the practice starts to be established would be beneficial. This will aid by identifying which areas and systems could best support practitioners in this transition and their ongoing participation in assisted dying.
Dr Laura Ley Greaves is a medical doctor with a special interest in end of life care. She is a current PhD student at the Queensland University of Technology, doing a longitudinal study of medical practitioners experiences following the commencement of Voluntary Assisted Dying in Queensland.