Background: Euthanasia is a highly controversial issue due to ethical, legal, religious, social and psychological aspects.
Objectives: To examine the attitudes of physicians regarding euthanasia and the background variables related to these attitudes.
Methods: A survey was administered to 131 physicians working at Barzilai Medical Center. Physicians were queried about their attitudes regarding euthanasia.
Results: Most doctors have encountered terminally ill patients within their work or personal lives; 62% agreed that a person has the right to decide whether to expedite their own death; 56% thought they should accept a patient's request to prevent/stop life-preserving treatment; 53% agreed that euthanasia should be allowed, while about 20% thought that in any case, doctors should preserve the patient's life, even despite the patient's wishes to die. Forty percent of doctors faced the dilemma of ordering DNR (Do Not Resuscitate). Only half of the physicians had a familiarity with the law, and 41% didn't know if a DNR procedure exists in their department. Doctors specializing in internal professions held more positive attitudes toward euthanasia than other professions. In addition, the doctor's years of experience, level of secularity, and number of encounters with terminally ill patients each had a positive correlation with their respective attitudes towards euthanasia.
Discussion: Attitudes toward euthanasia are quite positive, although data shows a conflict of values: the sacredness of human life versus the desire to alleviate the patient's suffering and to respect their autonomy. It is recommended to re-discuss the law, and to inform physicians that the DNR procedure exists.