Trends in public perception towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the Maltese Islands

Abstract

AIM: To gather information about the perceptions of the residents of Malta on the subject of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide and subsequently compare and contrast such perceptions with those of other countries.

METHOD: An online questionnaire aimed at getting demographic information of the respondents and to gauge their perception towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide was distributed electronically via the internet between 29th September and 18th November 2018.

FINDINGS: The vast majority of the population sample studied found euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide acceptable in cases where the patient is either incurably sick, terminally ill, or in great pain. It is still unclear whether this is due to lack of education about what is and what is not euthanasia, such as pain relief, removal of extraordinary treatment and palliative sedation.

CONCLUSION: In Malta, public support for the end-of-care decisions discussed in this paper has seen an increase throughout the years, similar to

what has been experienced in other Western countries. More public education concentrated in particular on various possibilities ought to be considered.