Year: 1998 Source: The New England Journal of Medicine, v.338, no.17, (April 23, 1998), p.1193-1201 SIEC No: 20010378

In 1996, questionnaires were mailed to a stratified probability sample of 3102 physicians in the 10 specialities in which doctors are most likely to receive requests for assistance with euthanasia or suicide. 1902 completed questionnaires were received. 11% of the physicians said that under current legal constraints, there were circumstances in which they would be willing to hasten a patient’s death by prescribing medication & 7% said they would provide a lethal injection. Since entering practice, 18.3% of the physicians reported having received a request for assistance with suicide & 11.1% had received a request for a lethal injection. 16% of the physicians receiving such requests reported they had written at least 1 prescription to be used to hasten death, & 4.7% said they had administered at least one lethal injection. (23 refs.)