Physician reports of medication use with explicit intention of hastening the end of life in the absence of explicit patient request in general practice in Belgium

Background: Although the incidence of the use of life-ending drugs without explicit patient request has been estimated in several studies, in-depth empirical research on this controversial practice is nonexistent. Based on face-to-face interviews with the clinicians involved in cases where patients died following such a decision in general practice in Belgium, we investigated the clinical characteristics of the patients, the decision-making process, and the way the practice was conducted. Methods: Mortality follow-back study in 2005-2006 using the nationwide Sentinel Network of General Practit... Mehr ...