Do patients receiving palliative care want assisted dying?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Do patients receiving palliative care want assisted dying? A questionnaire survey of the views of Hospice inpatients.
IRAS ID
256641
Contact name
Fiona Rawlinson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 0 days
Research summary
Over the past few years there has been considerable public and political interest in Assisted Dying (AD) with media coverage and the most recent Bill debated in 2015.
Surveys used as evidence for a desire for a change in the law are usually conducted on the general public. The evidence around the wishes of people nearing end of life is lacking although there is a growing body of qualitative research in this area.
This is a quantitative research study using a questionnaire to gather data. In it, patients will be invited to participate soon after admission to a Hospice.
The aim is to gain an idea of what proportion of patients being admitted to a Hospice would want Assisted Dying (AD) in order to inform the current debate on legalising it in the UK. Whether or not this wish changes following inpatient Hospice care will also be noted.
All new admissions to the Hospice within a 4 month timeframe will be screened for inclusion in the study.
A standardised symptom questionnaire will be administered, followed by five questions around the participant’s wish for AD and measures they might have considered to end their own lives. Free text boxes within the questionnaire will encourage participants to expand on their responses. Demographic data and performance scores will also be gathered.
The symptom questionnaire, performance status score and one question on AD will be repeated at two weeks, where feasible.
A Distress Protocol will be in use throughout and it is anticipated that the majority of the questionnaires will be administered in the Hospice inpatient setting where access to levels 1-3 psychological support is available.
Due to time constraints this would be run as a pilot study with statistical analysis taking place if feasible. Limited thematic analysis of the free text responses may also be possible.REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0008
Date of REC Opinion
31 Jan 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion