2005-03-03 From: Business Wire, US
Poll: Majority of Doctors Support Ethics of Physician Assisted Suicide;
Plurality Support Legalization of Controversial Practice
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050303005492&newsLang=en
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 2005--Results of a national survey
of 1,000 physicians revealed that a clear majority of physicians (57%)
believe that it is ethical to assist an individual who has made a rational
choice to die due to unbearable suffering, while 39% believe it is unethical.
In response to the Supreme Court's decision to hear a challenge to Oregon's
Death with Dignity act -- the nation's only law on behalf of physician
assisted suicide -- the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Social and Religious
Research and HCD Research, conducted the survey of physicians during the
last week of February. The margin of error for the study was plus or minus
3% at a 95% level of confidence.
The findings also indicated that a plurality of physicians polled (41%)
endorse the legalization of physician assisted suicide under a wide variety
of circumstances, while 30% support its legalization in a few cases only
and 29% oppose legalizing it in all cases.
"Differences between political conservatives and liberals are significant
throughout the survey," said Dr. Alan Mittleman, Director of the Finkelstein
Institute. Analysis of the responses on the ethicality of physician assisted
suicide and its legalization reveal the results correlate closely with
doctors' political identity. A majority of self-identified conservatives
(72%) think assisted suicide is unethical, while a majority of liberals
(81%) believe it is ethical to assist a patient who has opted for suicide.
Among conservatives, a majority (66%) oppose legalization. Among liberals,
64% broadly support it.
Although doctors tend to support legalization as a public policy, results
are mixed when asked whether they would personally participate in assisting
a patient. A plurality (46%) would not assist a patient for any reason.
Thirty-four percent would assist a patient in a few cases and 20% would
assist under a wide variety of circumstances.
"In our recent studies, physicians have been uniform in their response
to certain moral and ethical issues such as stem cell research, where 80%
of physicians indicated they were in favor of the research," said
Glenn Kessler, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, HCD Research. "It
was somewhat of a contrast that physicians expressed a wide range of views
regarding issues relating to physician assisted suicide."
Those surveyed represent physicians from Christian (Roman Catholic, Protestant,
Orthodox Christian and other), Jewish (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and
secular) Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions.
Other findings include:
-- 54% believe that assisted suicide should be a matter between patient
and doctor alone and that government should not regulate the practice.
46% say government has a legitimate interest in regulating it.
-- Were government to regulate assisted suicide, a majority (55%) would
have it regulated at the Federal level, 46% at the state level. Among political
conservatives, 71% would prefer it regulated by Federal law, while 56%
of liberals prefer state regulation.
-- When asked to describe the source of their attitudes toward physician
assisted suicide, a plurality of doctors offered their understanding of
their obligations as physicians (40%), followed by their general moral
values (24%), their view of patient autonomy (20%), and their religious
beliefs (13%) among other factors.
-- Religious identity correlates with attitudes toward the ethical status
of assisting in suicide. Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Jews believe
in the majority that it is unethical to assist, while Conservative, Reform
and secular Jews say assistance is ethical.
The poll was conducted by the Finkelstein Institute and HCD Research as
part of their continuing exploration of the moral, ethical and religious
beliefs of American physicians.
Editors/Reporters: For more information on the poll, or to speak with Dr.
Mittleman or Glenn Kessler, please contact Sherry Kirschenbaum in the Department
of Communications at (212) 678-8953; or email kirschenbaum@jtsa.edu.
HCD Research is a marketing and communications research company headquartered
in Flemington, NJ. The company's services include traditional and web-based
marketing and communications research. HCD Research is also the developer
of readmylipz.com, a political ad testing web site for the 2004 Presidential
campaign. For additional information on HCD Research, access the company's
web site at www.hcdi.net or call HCD Research at 908-788-9393.
The Finkelstein Institute provides a venue to advance dialogue at the intersection
of religion and public affairs. Founded in 1886 as a rabbinical school,
The Jewish Theological Seminary today is the academic and spiritual center
of Conservative Judaism worldwide, encompassing a world-class library and
five schools. JTS trains tomorrow's religious, educational, academic and
lay leaders for the Jewish community and beyond. Visit the JTS website
at www.jtsa.edu
