General practitioners' opinions on consultation of another physician in case of euthanasia

Objectives: Purpose of this study is to gain insight in the opinions of general practitioners (GPs) about different aspects of consultation, one of the ways in which euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (EAS) can be safeguarded. Methods: Data from two studies were used. In the Amsterdam study, all GPs working in Amsterdam (n = 398) received a questionnaire in which they were asked to indicate to what extent they agreed with a list of 17 statements about different aspects of consultation. In the nationwide study, a stratified random sample of 405 Dutch GPs and other physicians was interviewed. In the interviews, two questions about consultation were asked. Results: Of Dutch GPs, 81% are of the opinion that consultation should take place in all cases of physician-assisted death. In general, GPs from Amsterdam consider the role of consultation in the decisionmaking in cases of EAS, the consultant's skills and activities, and consultation as method of review to be important. For instance, a large majority of the GPs agrees to a greater or lesser extent to the statements 'I do not only consult because it is obligatory' (84%) and 'the consultant's judgement is important for my decision-making' (73%). Conclusions: These results suggest that giving consultation a more important and formal role in the reviewing of cases of EAS, as is advocated by the Dutch government and the Royal Dutch Medical Association, will be feasible. GPs, at least those from Amsterdam, seem to consider consultation to be important enough.