• Health services research · Dec 2009

    Role and involvement of life end information forum physicians in euthanasia and other end-of-life care decisions in Flanders, Belgium.

    • Yanna Van Wesemael, Joachim Cohen, Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Johan Bilsen, Wim Distelmans, and Luc Deliens.
    • End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, Belgium.
    • Health Serv Res. 2009 Dec 1; 44 (6): 2180-92.

    ObjectiveTo describe role and involvement of Life End Information Forum (LEIF) physicians in end-of-life care decisions and euthanasia in Flanders.Study DesignAll 132 LEIF physicians in Belgium received a questionnaire inquiring about their activities in the past year, and their end-of-life care training and experience.Principal FindingsResponse rate was 75 percent. Most respondents followed substantive training in end-of-life care. In 1 year, LEIF physicians were contacted 612 times for consultations in end-of-life decisions, of which 355 concerned euthanasia requests eventually resulting in 221 euthanasia cases. LEIF physicians also gave information about various end-of-life issues (including palliative care) to patients and colleagues.ConclusionsLEIF physicians provide a forum for information and advice for physicians and patients. A similar health service providing support to physicians for all end-of-life decisions could also be beneficial for countries without a euthanasia law.

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