Social science & medicine
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Social science & medicine · Aug 2007
Changes in medical end-of-life practices during the legalization process of euthanasia in Belgium.
Changes in medical practices during transitions in regulating healthcare are rarely investigated. In this study, we investigated changes in medical end-of-life decisions with a possible or certain life-shortening effect (ELDs) that occurred during the legalization process of euthanasia in Belgium. We took representative random samples from deaths reported to registries in Flanders, Belgium in 1998 (n=3999) at the beginning of the process and in 2001 (N=5005), at the end of the process. ⋯ In 2001, continuous deep sedation was reported in 8.3% of deaths. We can conclude that physicians' end-of-life practices have substantially changed during the short but tumultuous legalization process of euthanasia in Belgium. Although follow-up research is needed to investigate the continuance of these changes, it is important for policy makers to keep in mind that social factors related to transitions in healthcare regulation may play an important role in the physicians' actual behaviour.