Jacobs R K, Hendricks M
Centre for Medical Ethics and Law, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
S Afr Med J. 2018 May 25;108(6):484-489. doi: 10.7196/SAMJ.2018.v108i6.13089.
Euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide have been a controversial and sometimes taboo topic for a long time, not only in South Africa (SA) but also internationally. A recent (SA) judicial case has seen the topic debated again. Consensus on accepting or abolishing these practices in SA has yet to be reached. All relevant role players need to be adequately engaged before policy can be informed.
To determine the views of future doctors (medical students) regarding euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and to ascertain their stance on its legalisation in South Africa (SA).
A paper-based, semi-quantitative descriptive study design consisting of 16 questions, using convenience sampling of third- to fifth-year medical students at Stellenbosch University, was used.
The overall response rate was 69.3% (N=277). In total, 52.7% of participants (n=146) felt that the practices of euthanasia/PAS should be legalised in SA. Responses varied depending on patient morbidities. If a patient had terminal disease with intractable suffering, 41.9% of participants would terminate the patient's life upon request. A further 36.1% of participants stated that they would have no part in ending a patient's life, while 35.0% said that they would be comfortable with providing the patient with the correct means to end their life (PAS). The majority (80.1%) of participants indicated that they would prefer a dedicated ethics committee to decide who receives euthanasia/PAS. Many factors influenced participants' responses, but differences in opinion between and within the various religious groups were particularly evident in the responses received.
More than half the respondents in this study were open to legalising euthanasia/PAS, substantially more than in previous studies. However, only 41.9% of respondents would consider actually performing euthanasia/PAS, for certain patients. Views of other healthcare workers as well as the public are required before policy can be informed.
长期以来，安乐死/医生协助自杀一直是一个有争议的话题，有时甚至是禁忌话题，不仅在南非，在国际上也是如此。最近南非的一个司法案件再次引发了对该话题的辩论。在南非，对于接受或废除这些做法尚未达成共识。在制定政策之前，所有相关利益相关者都需要充分参与。
确定未来医生（医学生）对安乐死和医生协助自杀（PAS）的看法，并确定他们对其在南非合法化的立场。
采用基于纸质的半定量描述性研究设计，包括16个问题，对斯泰伦博斯大学三至五年级医学生进行便利抽样。
总体回复率为69.3%（N = 277）。总共有52.7%的参与者（n = 146）认为安乐死/PAS做法应在南非合法化。根据患者病情不同，回答各异。如果患者患有绝症且遭受难以忍受的痛苦，41.9%的参与者会应要求结束患者生命。另外36.1%的参与者表示他们不会参与结束患者生命，而35.0%的参与者表示他们会愿意为患者提供正确的结束生命的手段（PAS）。大多数（80.1%）参与者表示他们更希望由专门的伦理委员会决定谁能接受安乐死/PAS。许多因素影响了参与者的回答，但不同宗教群体之间和内部的意见差异在收到的回答中尤为明显。
本研究中超过一半的受访者对安乐死/PAS合法化持开放态度，大大超过之前的研究。然而，只有41.9%的受访者会考虑为某些患者实际实施安乐死/PAS。在制定政策之前，还需要了解其他医护人员以及公众的看法。
