PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Hilde M Buiting
AU  - Dorly J H Deeg
AU  - Dirk L Knol
AU  - Jochen P Ziegelmann
AU  - H Roeline W Pasman
AU  - Guy A M Widdershoven
AU  - Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen
TI  - Older peoples' attitudes towards euthanasia and an end-of-life pill in The Netherlands: 2001–2009
AID  - 10.1136/medethics-2011-100066
DP  - 2012 May 01
TA  - Journal of Medical Ethics
PG  - 267--273
VI  - 38
IP  - 5
4099  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/38/5/267.short
4100  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/38/5/267.full
SO  - J Med Ethics2012 May 01; 38
AB  - Introduction With an ageing population, end-of-life care is increasing in importance. The present work investigated characteristics and time trends of older peoples' attitudes towards euthanasia and an end-of-life pill.Methods Three samples aged 64 years or older from the Longitudinal Ageing Study Amsterdam (N=1284 (2001), N=1303 (2005) and N=1245 (2008)) were studied. Respondents were asked whether they could imagine requesting their physician to end their life (euthanasia), or imagine asking for a pill to end their life if they became tired of living in the absence of a severe disease (end-of-life pill). Using logistic multivariable techniques, changes of attitudes over time and their association with demographic and health characteristics were assessed.Results The proportion of respondents with a positive attitude somewhat increased over time, but significantly only among the 64–74 age group. For euthanasia, these percentages were 58% (2001), 64% (2005) and 70% (2008) (OR of most recent versus earliest period (95% CI): 1.30 (1.17 to 1.44)). For an end-of-life pill, these percentages were 31% (2001), 33% (2005) and 45% (2008) (OR (95% CI): 1.37 (1.23 to 1.52)). For the end-of-life pill, interaction between the most recent time period and age group was significant.Conclusions An increasing proportion of older people reported that they could imagine desiring euthanasia or an end-of-life pill. This may imply an increased interest in deciding about your own life and stresses the importance to take older peoples' wishes seriously.