Trends in hastened death decision criteria: A review of official reports

Voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide has been legally performed in several countries. However, little is known about how decision-making occurs. We undertook this study to describe trends in officially reported cases of voluntary euthanasia or physician assisted suicide and to explore the decision-making procedures and understand relevant criteria. Thematic analysis of the official reports from several countries was performed. Differences in the number of reported deaths from hasten death practices between countries was found, with higher numbers in countries who performed voluntary euthanasia. Patients profiles follow the trends in the literature (the majority is aged between 70 and 89 years old, men die more often than women in most countries, most prevalent underlying disease is cancer, most people died at home). Despite there being little detail in the reports, decision is explored in the majority of countries and states (exploration of acceptable alternatives and verification of the voluntariness of the request). The importance of collecting data on this topic around the world and establishing a firm evidence-base to support professionals’ practice is highlighted.