Beliefs and Attitudes toward Physician-assisted Suicide among Korean Adults

PURPOSE: To grasp public opinion accurately, we conducted an opinion poll on beliefs and attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide (PAS). METHODS: A randomized telephone survey ensuring a representative sample was conducted, 1,007 participants aged 18 years or older (response rate, 9.5%). RESULTS: The main results are as follows i) 61.1% of participants thought that the current social support system for terminally ill patients and their families is insufficient; ii) 60% of participants did not recognize the term “hospice and palliative care”; iii) 81.7% of participants would not like to receive life-sustaining treatment if there is no possibility of recovery; iv) 58.4% of participants would like to receive hospice and palliative care if they are diagnosed with a terminal illness; v) the priorities for dignified dying were preparing a support system to reduce the burden of care (28.6%), economic support including reduction of medical expenses (26.7%), expansion of hospice and palliative care services (25.4%), and legalization of PAS (13.6%); and vi) 58.3% of participants agreed that the expansion of hospice and palliative care should precede the legalization of PAS. CONCLUSION: Koreans currently want other efforts, including expansion of hospice and palliative care services, instead of the legalization of PAS.