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B D Onwuteaka-Philipsen

Publications and source records attributed to B D Onwuteaka-Philipsen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Trends in the agents used for euthanasia and the relationship with the number of notifications].

OBJECTIVE: To provide insight into the relationship between the drugs used for euthanasia and its notification. DESIGN: Retrospective and descriptive. METHODS: By comparing the drugs used for euthanasia according to different components of studies carried out in 1990, 1995 and 2000, insight was obtained into the drugs used in all cases of euthanasia satisfying the definition thereof (death-certificate studies), those cases of euthanasia that, in addition, were defined as such by the physician (physician interviews), and the cases of euthanasia that, in addition, had been reported (reported case studies). RESULTS: In 2001, standard drugs for euthanasia were used in 76% of cases and opioids in 23%. Euthanasia with standard drugs was reported in 73% of cases in 1995, and in 71% of cases in 2000, while euthanasia with opioids was reported in 2% and 1% of cases, respectively. The total percentage of euthanasia reported was higher in 2001 than in 1995 (54% versus 44%), since in 2001 euthanasia was apparently performed more often with standard drugs and less with opioids. CONCLUSION: An increasing proportion of cases of euthanasia is being carried out with the drugs recommended for this purpose. Euthanasia with opioids was rarely reported. Possibly, physicians did not always consider these cases to be euthanasia.

Barbiturates↗
PubMed2006

[Degree of discomfort following the decision to discontinue artificial nutrition and hydration in institutionalised psychogeriatric patients with severe dementia who no longer or scarcely eat or drink].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the level and course of discomfort after the decision was made to forgo artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) in nursing home patients with severe dementia who scarcely or no longer eat and drink. DESIGN: Longitudinal questionnaire investigation. METHOD: In a prospective, longitudinal, observational study conducted in 32 Dutch nursing homes, discomfort was measured in 178 patients using the observational 'Discomfort scale for patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type' (DS-DAT) at various time points: on the day of the decision to discontinue ANH and 2, 5, 9, 14 and 42 days thereafter. Data on factors that may have influenced the degree of discomfort were also collected at all time points. RESULTS: The decision to forgo ANH occurred most often in severely demented female patients with an acute illness. Overall, 134 patients (75%) died within 1-2 weeks after the decision. The mean level ofdiscomfort was highest on the day of the decision and decreased thereafter. However, the degree of discomfort differed substantially among patients. The presence of dyspnoea, restlessness, and physician-observed pain and dehydration were associated with higher levels of discomfort. Patients who were awake had higher levels of observed discomfort than patients who were asleep. CONCLUSION: Discontinuing ANH in patients with severe dementia who scarcely or no longer eat or drink was not generally associated with high levels of discomfort and therefore appears to be an acceptable decision. The individual differences emphasise the need for constant attention to distressful symptoms.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

[Granted, undecided, withdrawn and refused requests for euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the Netherlands; 2000-2002].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the characteristics of patients who request euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide and whether these characteristics differ among those whose request is granted, those who die before the procedure, those who die before completion of the approval process, those who withdraw their request, and lastly, those whose request is refused by the physician. DESIGN: Questionnaire study. METHOD: All general practitioners in 18 of the 23 Dutch general practitioner districts received a written questionnaire in which they were asked to describe the most recent request for euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide that they had received (response 60%, n=3614). RESULTS: Of all explicit requests, 44% resulted in euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. Thirteen percent of patients died before the procedure, 13% died before completion of the approval process, 13% withdrew their request and 12% were refused by the physician. The most prominent symptoms were 'feeling bad', 'tiredness', and 'lack of appetite'. The most frequently mentioned reasons for requesting euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide were 'pointless suffering', 'loss of dignity', and 'general weakness'. The patients' situation met the official requirements for accepted practice best in the group of requests that resulted in euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide and least in the group of refused requests. A lesser degree of competence and less unbearable and hopeless suffering had the strongest associations with the refusal of a request. CONCLUSION: The complexity of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide decision-making is reflected in the fact that, besides granting and refusing a request, 3 other situations could be distinguished. The decisions physicians made, the reasons for their decisions and the way they arrived at their decisions appeared to be based on patient evaluations and on the official requirements for accepted practice.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[Experience of family members with the decision concerning artificial nutrition and hydration in people with dementia in nursing homes].

The purpose of this study is to investigate how relatives of nursing home patients with dementia, for whom the decision whether to start or forgo artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) was made, assess the decision-making process. Furthermore we evaluated the information given by the nursing home staff to the relatives and the care provided by them to the patient. The study was an observational study based on written questionnaires. Relatives of 99 nursing home patients with dementia filled in a questionnaire at the time of the decision-making and 6 weeks after the decision was made or 6 weeks after the patient had died. Almost all relatives assessed the 4 aspects of the decision-making process (number of consults, content of the consults, carefulness of the decision-making and there own part in the decision-making process) at both times as 'good' or 'satisfactory'. Furthermore it appeared that they judged the carefulness of the decision-making process significantly more often as 'good' when they also assessed the other three aspects as 'good'. Especially their own influence on the decision-making process appeared to play a part in this matter. Information about the possible consequences of starting ANH as well as about the condition of the patient were experienced sufficient by almost all relatives. This was also the case for the care offered to the patient. In general almost all relatives reported satisfaction with the decision and with the carefulness of the decision-making process. This satisfaction did not differ between the moment of the decision and afterwards. For this it did not make any difference whether the patient had or had not died.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Fourth evaluation of the law on the review of termination of life on request and assisted suicide (Euthanasia Act)].

This fall, an extensive study will start to evaluate the Dutch Euthanasia Act. This law was enacted in 2002. According to this law, physicians must report cases of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. The cases are then judged by regional euthanasia review committees consisting of a lawyer, a physician and an ethicist. Only if they conclude that the case does not meet the requirements for prudent practice, it will be sent to the public prosecutor. The study will be focused on the practice of medical end-of-life decision-making, the functioning and effects of the Euthanasia Act, and opinions of physicians about the scope of the law and the demarcation between different end-of-life decisions. The study will comprise 4 sub-studies: a judicial evaluation, a death certificate study, a survey among physicians and a panel study among physicians, nurses, members of euthanasia review committees, lawyers and ethicists. This study is the fourth in a row of nationwide studies into end-of-life practices that have been performed since 1990. The previous studies contributed to the public debate about medical care at the end of life and to the development of policy in this field. It is expected that this study, by providing up-to-date information on and insight into end-of-life care in the Netherlands, will do the same.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2005

[No conspicuous changes in the practice of medical end-of-life decision-making for neonates and infants in the Netherlands in 2001 as compared to 1995].

OBJECTIVE: To establish whether the practice of end-of-life decision-making for neonates and infants under the age of 1 in the Netherlands in 2000 was different from that in 1995. DESIGN: Retrospective descriptive and comparative study. METHODS: In both years, all deaths of children under the age of one year that took place in August-November (1995: n = 338; 2001: n = 347) were studied. The response rate was 96% in 1995 and 84% in 2001. The questionnaires which were sent to the physicians who reported the deaths, included structured questions about whether or not death had been preceded by end-of-life decisions, i.e. decisions to withhold or withdraw potentially life-prolonging treatment or to administer (potentially) life-shortening drugs, and questions about the decision-making process. RESULTS: The proportion of end-of-life decisions increased slightly from 62% to 68% of all deaths in the first year of life, but the difference was not statistically significant. The large majority of these decisions involved withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment. The frequency of decisions to actively terminate the life of an infant who was not dependent on life-sustaining treatment remained stable at 1%. The proportion of decisions that had been discussed with the parents increased slightly, from 91% in 1995 to 97% in 2001; similar percentages of the decisions had been discussed with other physicians. The percentage of decisions that had been discussed with the nursing staff decreased from 40 in 1995 to 28 in 2001. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the practice of end-of-life decision-making in neonatology was rather stable between 1995 and 2001. The frequency of the active termination of life had not increased, despite the new euthanasia regulation in the Netherlands.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2003

Proxy reporting in after-death interviews: the use of proxy respondents in retrospective assessment of chronic diseases and symptom burden in the terminal phase of life.

This study evaluates the quality of data obtained from after-death interviews with significant others of deceased older persons regarding the prevalence of chronic diseases and symptoms in the terminal phase of life. These data are compared with reports from physicians and earlier self-reports from the deceased person. There were significant increases in nonresponse and nonavailability of significant others for decedents who had been divorced or had never been married, thus introducing some selection bias. At the level of the total sample, significant others seem to give accurate information about the prevalence of chronic diseases when compared with self-reports and reports from physicians. At the level of the individual sample member, after-death interviews with significant others provide valid information for the assessment of the prevalence of malignant neoplasms, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cerebrovascular disease, but not for osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis and artherosclerotic disease. At the level of the total sample, the prevalence of symptoms assessed by significant others did not differ greatly from the assessment made by physicians. However, at the level of the individual sample member, the validity of symptom assessment by significant others could not be supported by data obtained from the physicians. With regard to the type of significant others interviewed, children reported more symptoms than partners. The use of significant others in after-death interviews can be a valid method with regard to the assessment of chronic diseases and symptoms on a group level. On an individual level this can be concluded only for chronic diseases with clearly observable consequences.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

The emotional impact on physicians of hastening the death of a patient.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the emotional feelings reported by physicians in The Netherlands after having performed euthanasia or other medical end-of-life decisions. DESIGN: Nationwide interview study in The Netherlands, November 1995 through February 1996. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A random sample of 405 physicians (general practitioners, nursing home physicians, and clinical specialists). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subsequent feelings of physicians about their most recent cases (if any) of euthanasia, assisted suicide, life-ending without an explicit request from the patient, and alleviation of pain and other symptoms with high doses of opioids. RESULTS: The response rate was 89%. In 52% of all cases of hastening death, physicians had feelings of comfort afterwards, which included feelings of satisfaction in 44% and of relief in 13%. Feelings of discomfort were reported in 42%, most frequently referred to as emotional (28%) or burdensome (25%). Feelings of discomfort were highest for euthanasia (75%; P<0.000). 95% of physicians were willing to perform euthanasia or assisted suicide again in similar situations. Afterwards, 5% had doubts, but none had regrets, about performing euthanasia. CONCLUSIONS: Hastening the death of a patient evokes different feelings among physicians. Although performing euthanasia is often experienced as burdensome and emotional, granting the ultimate wish of a competent patient may also give physicians a feeling of having contributed to the quality of the dying process.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

[New research on the practice, reporting and reviewing of euthanasia and other medical end-of-life decisions, 2001/2002].

In the second half of 2001, an extensive study will start which will evaluate the review procedure for euthanasia in the Netherlands. Since the end of 1998, euthanasia has to be reviewed by regional review committees, which include a physician and an ethicist, in addition to a legal expert. The aim of this study is to examine whether the reporting procedure meets the aim and whether there are any points which require improvement. This study follows on from those carried out in 1990/1991 and 1995/1996, which investigated euthanasia and other medical end-of-life decisions (assisted suicide, termination of life without the patient's explicit request, treatment of pain and symptoms with a possible life-shortening effect, and forgoing potentially life-prolonging treatment). The study consists of an analysis of cases of death (in which the numbers and nature of various medical end-of-life decisions will be established), physician interviews (to gain insight into the context in which medical end-of-life decisions are made), a study of reported cases (to give an overview of doctors' experiences with the review committees), and a study carried out amongst the general public (around 1,500 Dutch adults will be given a written questionnaire about their opinions concerning medical end-of-life decisions and the reporting procedure). In addition to this Dutch study, a European study subsidized by the European Commission is being carried out which will examine attitudes and experiences regarding medical end-of-life decisions in six European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland). This will, for the first time, enable a true comparison to be made between the Netherlands and other countries in terms of euthanasia and other medical end-of-life decisions.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Support and consultation for general practitioners concerning euthanasia: the SCEA project. Support and Consultation in Euthanasia in Amsterdam.

UNLABELLED: In the project 'Support and consultation in Euthanasia in Amsterdam' (SCEA) general practitioners can turn to 20 especially trained physicians for advice or consultation concerning euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. In this study the implementation was evaluated and it was investigated whether the goals of SCEA, supporting physicians and improving the quality of consultation, the quality of decision-making and the willingness to report, were met. Methods used were a questionnaire send to all general practitioners registered in Amsterdam (n=398), registration forms SCEA physicians filled in for every time SCEA was contacted and records of the public prosecutor. After the study period of 14 months, of the general practitioners who had performed euthanasia during this period, 53% had contacted SCEA at least once. The vast majority of general practitioners felt supported by SCEA. The quality of consultation was (even) higher in cases of euthanasia in which a SCEA physician acted as consultant than in cases with another consultant. We found no relation between use of SCEA and the last two goals of SCEA. CONCLUSIONS: Whether the lack of relation found between SCEA and it's last two goals is real or due to the studies limitations remains unclear. The results of this study do suggest that SCEA, by further improving the quality of consultation, has contributed to the safeguarding of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Therefore, similar networks are being developed throughout the Netherlands.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2001

Withholding or withdrawing artificial administration of food and fluids in nursing-home patients.

BACKGROUND: withholding or withdrawing artificial administration of food and fluids, especially in incompetent patients, has been the subject of turbulent discussions. Insight into this practice may be useful in the debate, and also in the development of guidelines. OBJECTIVES: to gain insight into the frequency and circumstances of forgoing artificial administration of food and fluids in nursing homes. DESIGN: we sent a written questionnaire to the nursing-home physicians of a stratified sample of 6060 people who died in the Netherlands in 1995, and interviewed a random sample of 74 nursing-home physicians. SETTING: Dutch nursing homes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: incidence of withholding or withdrawing artificial administration of food, patient characteristics and features of the decision-making process. RESULTS: in 23% of deaths in nursing homes, artificial administration of food and fluids were foregone. In two-thirds of cases, life was shortened by 1 week at most. The decision was almost always discussed with competent patients. In the case of incompetent patients, the decision was almost always discussed with the patient's relatives. Frequently mentioned considerations in the decision were: the patient's (presumed) wish, low quality of life, no prospect of improvement and the desire not unnecessarily to prolong life. CONCLUSIONS: artificial administration of food and fluids is one of the most frequently forgone treatments in nursing homes. In general, the physician involves the patient or the patient's relatives and the nursing staff in the decision-making. In most cases, the nursing-home physicians thought that the decision to forgo artificial administration of food and fluids improved the patient's quality of dying.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

A protocol for consultation of another physician in cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide.

OBJECTIVE: Consultation of another physician is an important method of review of the practice of euthanasia. For the project "support and consultation in euthanasia in Amsterdam" which is aimed at professionalising consultation, a protocol for consultation was developed to support the general practitioners who were going to work as consultants and to ensure uniformity. PARTICIPANTS: Ten experts (including general practitioners who were experienced in euthanasia and consultation, a psychiatrist, a social geriatrician, a professor in health law and a public prosecutor) and the general practitioners who were going to use the protocol. EVIDENCE: There is limited literature on consultation: discursive articles and empirical studies describing the practice of euthanasia. CONSENSUS: An initial draft on the basis of the literature was commented on by the experts and general practitioners in two rounds. Finally, the protocol was amended after it had been used during the training of consultants. CONCLUSIONS: The protocol differentiates between steps that are necessary in a consultation and steps that are recommended. Guidelines about four important aspects of consultation were given: independence, expertise, tasks and judgment of the consultant. In 97% of 109 consultations in which the protocol was used the consultant considered the protocol to be useful to a greater or lesser extent. Although this protocol was developed locally, it also employs universal principles. Therefore it can be of use in the development of consultation elsewhere.

Clinical Protocols↗
PubMed2000

Clinical problems with the performance of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in The Netherlands.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: The characteristics and frequency of clinical problems with the performance of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are uncertain. We analyzed data from two studies of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in The Netherlands (one conducted in 1990 and 1991 and the other in 1995 and 1996), with a total of 649 cases. We categorized clinical problems as technical problems, such as difficulty inserting an intravenous line; complications, such as myoclonus or vomiting; or problems with completion, such as a longer-than-expected interval between the administration of medications and death. RESULTS: In 114 cases, the physician's intention was to provide assistance with suicide, and in 535, the intention was to perform euthanasia. Problems of any type were more frequent in cases of assisted suicide than in cases of euthanasia. Complications occurred in 7 percent of cases of assisted suicide, and problems with completion (a longer-than-expected time to death, failure to induce coma, or induction of coma followed by awakening of the patient) occurred in 16 percent of the cases; complications and problems with completion occurred in 3 percent and 6 percent of cases of euthanasia, respectively. The physician decided to administer a lethal medication in 21 of the cases of assisted suicide (18 percent), which thus became cases of euthanasia. The reasons for this decision included problems with completion (in 12 cases) and the inability of the patient to take all the medications (in 5). CONCLUSIONS: There may be clinical problems with the performance of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. In The Netherlands, physicians who intend to provide assistance with suicide sometimes end up administering a lethal medication themselves because of the patient's inability to take the medication or because of problems with the completion of physician-assisted suicide.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Consultants in cases of intended euthanasia or assisted suicide in The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how often physicians act as a consultant in the review of intended euthanasia and assisted suicide (EAS), by whom physicians are asked to act as a consultant, and the consultant's reasons for not agreeing with the intended performance of EAS. DESIGN: A retrospective descriptive study. SETTING: The Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: A stratified random sample of 405 Dutch physicians. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of times the physician has been a consultant; how often a physician had previously been asked to be a consultant by the same treating physician; why consultants advised against EAS. RESULTS: 42% of interviewed physicians had acted as a consultant for EAS and 11% had been a consultant more than three times. Half the physicians who acted as a consultant more than once were invited to do so by the same attending physician, and 41% of consultants had previously consulted the attending physician. The main reasons consultants advised against EAS were because treatment options were still available, the patient's request was not well-considered or persistent, and the patient's suffering was not unbearable and hopeless. CONCLUSIONS: Many physicians have at some time been a consultant in a case of intended EAS, but only very few have been able to gain experience in consultancy. To guarantee high standards of consultation, it may be advisable to appoint and train specific consultants for EAS.

Euthanasia↗
PubMed1998

Cases of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide among AIDS patients reported to the Public Prosecutor in North Holland.

BACKGROUND: Euthanasia is performed relatively frequently among AIDS patients. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between euthanasia and physician assisted suicide (EAS) and AIDS. METHODS: A descriptive retrospective study in which data was collected from all cases of EAS which were reported to the Public Prosecutor in North Holland between 1984 and 1993. RESULTS: In 7% of the reported cases of EAS the patient had AIDS, and in most of these cases the physician involved was a general practitioner. Both the percentage of AIDS among the cases of EAS and the percentage of EAS among all deaths due to AIDS increased over the years. In 1992, 23% of all deaths due AIDS were reported as cases of EAS. CONCLUSIONS: It seems, in recent years, that EAS has been performed on at least one out of three AIDS patients, which is a far greater percentage than found among other patients.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1998

Guidelines on euthanasia and pain alleviation: compliance and opinions of physicians.

The objectives of this study are to describe: (a) the presence of; and (b) compliance with guidelines in cases of euthanasia and intensifying the alleviation of pain and symptoms; (c) the opinions of physicians about written guidelines; and (d) the relationship between meeting the requirements for prudent practice and presence of, and compliance with guidelines for euthanasia or assisted suicide (EAS). In 1990 and 1995 interviews were held with 405 physicians (general practitioners, nursing home physicians and clinical specialists). The response rate for the 2 years was 91 and 89%, respectively. The percentage of physicians who reported the existence of EAS guidelines increased from 50% in 1990 to 59% in 1995, and the compliance with these guidelines increased from 51 to 75%, respectively. Of the physicians, 17% stated that there were written guidelines for intensifying the alleviation of pain and symptoms. With regard to meeting the requirements for prudent practice, we found mostly no differences between cases of euthanasia in which EAS guidelines were present, and cases in which there were no guidelines. However, when guidelines did exist and were actually used, it seems there was a better adherence to consultation and notification, although numbers were small. The increase since 1990 in agreement with the statement that an institution should formulate a policy with regard to euthanasia, may reflect the growing awareness of the specific role of the management, and not only the physician, in this matter.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗