A new survey indicates that physicians in Oregon have improved their ability to care for dying patients since the state legalized doctor-assisted suicide. The study is published in this month's Journal of the American Medical Association. Colin Fogarty reports. Researchers from Oregon Health Sciences University surveyed more than 2,600 physicians who see terminally ill patients as a part of their practices. Most said that since Oregon approved the Death with Dignity Act in 1994, they've improved their skills and knowledge of end of life care.
Doctors say they know more about treating depression and pain.
And a third of those surveyed said they are now more likely to refer dying patients to hospice. Dr. Linda Ganzini says opponents of physician-assisted suicide argued the law would make end of life care worse. But she says the opposite appears to be true. Many of these improvements in end of life care actually started before the Death with Dignity Act passed. And our study suggests that the Death with Dignity Act didn't throw off those improvements and may have even supported those improvements.