Wish for euthanasia persists for at least one year after the request was declined by Euthanasia Expertise Center.

BACKGROUND

Euthanasia Expertise Center (EEC) in the Netherlands provides euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide for patients who meet all requirements of the Dutch Euthanasia Law, but whose treating physician declined their request. Little is known about how life continues for a patient after a request for physician-assisted death (PAD) is also declined by EEC.

OBJECTIVE

To follow-up patients whose request for PAD was declined at EEC.

METHODS

Between December 2016 and January 2020, 66 patients were prospectively followed for one year after their request was declined. Their general well-being and health, persistence of the wish for PAD, and mortality was measured by means of a questionnaire administered after three, six and 12 months. Furthermore, information was extracted from the patient's medical record.

FINDINGS

More than half (58%) of the included patients suffered from an accumulation of old-age complaints. In the year after the request was declined, 15 patients (23%) died, three of whom committed suicide. Almost all patients who were alive after one year, persisted in their wish for PAD. Moreover, they were often not doing well.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering that EEC is a last resort for those who were not granted PAD elsewhere, and that the wish for PAD persists, aftercare services should be provided to people whose request has been declined.