The Attitudes of Physicians toward Prolonging Life

Abstract

A brief questionnaire concerning the care of terminally ill patients was distributed to all physicians in the state of Iowa. The response to it suggests that Iowa physicians believe that terminal patients often realize that they are dying, though they rarely speak of it. Nearly half of those physicians revealed that they frequently omitted life-prolonging procedures or medications in the care of these patients. Likewise, close to half indicated that with some increased sharing of responsibility for decisions in this area, they might increase the frequency of this particular practice. In contrast, the vast majority expressed opposition to change in social attitudes which would permit physicians to hasten death. An analysis of responses to the questionnaire revealed the influence of experience upon the attitudes and practices of Iowa physicians. With greater exposure to terminal patients they more readily discussed a patient's prognosis with him, more often received requests for interruption of treatment, and more frequently omitted life-prolonging measures.