Beliefs and Attitudes toward Physician-assisted Suicide among Korean Adults

In Cheol Hwang; Jung Hun Kang; Won-Chul Kim; Jeanno Park; Hyun Sook Kim; DaeKyun Kim; Kyung Hee Lee

doi:10.14475/jhpc.2022.25.4.198

Beliefs and Attitudes toward Physician-assisted Suicide among Korean Adults

J Hosp Palliat Care. 2022 Dec 1;25(4):198-203. doi: 10.14475/jhpc.2022.25.4.198.

Authors

In Cheol Hwang¹, Jung Hun Kang², Won-Chul Kim³, Jeanno Park⁴, Hyun Sook Kim⁵, DaeKyun Kim⁶, Kyung Hee Lee⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
² Oncology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju, Korea.
³ Department of Medical Social Services Team, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine, Bobath Memorial Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
⁵ Department of Nursing, Korea National University of Transportation, Jeungpyeong, Korea.
⁶ Department of Family Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Incheon, Korea.
⁷ Oncology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.

Abstract

Purpose: To grasp public opinion accurately, we conducted an opinion poll on beliefs and attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide (PAS).

Methods: A randomized telephone survey ensuring a representative sample was conducted, 1,007 participants aged 18 years or older (response rate, 9.5%).

Results: The main results are as follows i) 61.1% of participants thought that the current social support system for terminally ill patients and their families is insufficient; ii) 60% of participants did not recognize the term "hospice and palliative care"; iii) 81.7% of participants would not like to receive life-sustaining treatment if there is no possibility of recovery; iv) 58.4% of participants would like to receive hospice and palliative care if they are diagnosed with a terminal illness; v) the priorities for dignified dying were preparing a support system to reduce the burden of care (28.6%), economic support including reduction of medical expenses (26.7%), expansion of hospice and palliative care services (25.4%), and legalization of PAS (13.6%); and vi) 58.3% of participants agreed that the expansion of hospice and palliative care should precede the legalization of PAS.

Conclusion: Koreans currently want other efforts, including expansion of hospice and palliative care services, instead of the legalization of PAS.

Keywords: Assisted suicide; Hospices; Terminal care; Withholding treatment.