Vulnerability and the 'slippery slope' at the end-of-life: a qualitative study of euthanasia, general practice and home death in The Netherlands

Background. One enduring criticism of the Dutch euthanasia policy is the ‘slippery slope’ argument that suggests that allowing physicians to conduct legal euthanasia or assisted suicide would eventually lead to patients being killed against their will. What we currently know about euthanasia and its practices in The Netherlands is predominantly based on retrospective quantitative or interview-based studies, but these studies fail to detail the mechanisms of day-to-day practice. Objective. To examine the practices that surround euthanasia, particularly among vulnerable patients, using qualitati... Mehr ...