STUDENTS’ OPINIONS ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OF EUTHANASIA

Abstract

We conducted an anonymous sociological inquiry of the 1st, 3rd and 6th year SPBGPMU students (300 respondents), as well as 200 technical university students and 100 humanitarian university students (control group). It showed that modern medical students, contrary to existing legal and ethical prohibitions, are tolerant or positively relate to euthanasia, without distinguishing between passive and active one. This attitude depends on a number of medico-social factors, the most significant of which is attitude to religion. Most future doctors support the legalization of euthanasia, as well as the patient’s rights to fix in advance the refusal of medical care. The majority of respondents expressed support for the fact that euthanasia should be performed by a specially trained medical professionals, however, a third of those who responded, in the case of euthanasia permission, are ready to personally provide such a “medical service”. The proportion of euthanasia supporters is lower among women compared to men, as well as among religious respondents as compared to nonbelievers and doubters. There are no significant differences between medical students
in comparison with students of humanitarian and technical universities. Most students of SPbPMU identified palliative care as the main alternative to euthanasia. Our study showed the need for more active coverage of the problem of euthanasia in the process of teaching medical students in courses
on bioethics, medical law, as well as in clinical departments.