scholarly journals Physicians’ experiences with euthanasia: a cross-sectional survey amongst a random sample of Dutch physicians to explore their concerns, feelings and pressure

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Evenblij ◽  
H. Roeline W. Pasman ◽  
Johannes J. M. van Delden ◽  
Agnes van der Heide ◽  
Suzanne van de Vathorst ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Physicians who receive a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide may experience a conflict of duties: the duty to preserve life on the one hand and the duty to relieve suffering on the other hand. Little is known about experiences of physicians with receiving and granting a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the concerns, feelings and pressure experienced by physicians who receive requests for euthanasia or assisted suicide. Methods In 2016, a cross-sectional study was conducted. Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 3000 Dutch physicians. Physicians who had been working in adult patient care in the Netherlands for the last year were included in the sample (n = 2657). Half of the physicians were asked about the most recent case in which they refused a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide, and half about the most recent case in which they granted a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide. Results Of the 2657 eligible physicians, 1374 (52%) responded. The most reported reason not to participate was lack of time. Of the respondents, 248 answered questions about a refused euthanasia or assisted suicide request and 245 about a granted EAS request. Concerns about specific aspects of the euthanasia and assisted suicide process, such as the emotional burden of preparing and performing euthanasia or assisted suicide were commonly reported by physicians who refused and who granted a request. Pressure to grant a request was mostly experienced by physicians who refused a request, especially if the patient was ≥80 years, had a life-expectancy of ≥6 months and did not have cancer. The large majority of physicians reported contradictory emotions after having performed euthanasia or assisted suicide. Conclusions Society should be aware of the impact of euthanasia and assisted suicide requests on physicians. The tension physicians experience may decrease their willingness to perform euthanasia and assisted suicide. On the other hand, physicians should not be forced to cross their own moral boundaries or be tempted to perform euthanasia and assisted suicide in cases that may not meet the due care criteria.

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1671
Author(s):  
Sharon Shyrley Weyll Oliveira ◽  
Rayzza Santos Vasconcelos ◽  
Verônica Rabelo Santana Amaral ◽  
Hélder Fernando Pedrosa e Sousa ◽  
Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis ◽  
...  

Spirituality has been identified as an adaptive coping strategy and a predictor of better quality of life in cancer patients. Despite the relevance of spirituality in the health–disease process, it is noted that the assessment of the impact of spirituality in coping with pain is still incipient. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of spirituality in coping with pain in cancer patients. This quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out in a medium-sized hospital and a cancer patient support institution located in northeastern Brazil. A questionnaire with sociodemographic and clinical variables was used and the following instruments were applied: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ); Neuropathic Pain 4 Questions (DN4); Spiritual Wellbeing Scale (SWBS); WHOQOL Spirituality, Religiousness and Personal Beliefs (WHOQOL-SRPB). Most people with no pain had higher scores on the SWBS. Neuropathic pain was identified in 23 patients and was associated with the highest level of spirituality used as a way of coping with pain. As faith increases, pain decreases in intensity by 0.394 points. On the other hand, as inner peace increases, pain increases by 1.485 points. It is concluded that faith is a strategy for coping with pain, in particular neuropathic pain, minimizing its intensity. On the other hand, greater levels of inner peace allow to increase the awareness of the painful sensation. It is expected that these findings may be useful to integrate spirituality care in healthcare facilities as a resource for positive coping for people in the process of becoming ill, contributing to the therapeutic path and favouring a new meaning to the experience of the disease.


Author(s):  
Anna Peterson

This book examines the impact that Athenian Old Comedy had on Greek writers of the Imperial era. It is generally acknowledged that Imperial-era Greeks responded to Athenian Old Comedy in one of two ways: either as a treasure trove of Atticisms, or as a genre defined by and repudiated for its aggressive humor. Worthy of further consideration, however, is how both approaches, and particularly the latter one that relegated Old Comedy to the fringes of the literary canon, led authors to engage with the ironic and self-reflexive humor of Aristophanes, Eupolis, and Cratinus. Authors ranging from serious moralizers (Plutarch and Aelius Aristides) to comic writers in their own right (Lucian, Alciphron), to other figures not often associated with Old Comedy (Libanius) adopted aspects of the genre to negotiate power struggles, facilitate literary and sophistic rivalries, and provide a model for autobiographical writing. To varying degrees, these writers wove recognizable features of the genre (e.g., the parabasis, its agonistic language, the stage biographies of the individual poets) into their writings. The image of Old Comedy that emerges from this time is that of a genre in transition. It was, on the one hand, with the exception of Aristophanes’s extant plays, on the verge of being almost completely lost; on the other hand, its reputation and several of its most characteristic elements were being renegotiated and reinvented.


Author(s):  
Angel L. Meroño-Cerdan ◽  
Pedro Soto-Acosta ◽  
Carolina Lopez-Nicolas

This study seeks to assess the impact of collaborative technologies on innovation at the firm level. Collaborative technologies’ influence on innovation is considered here as a multi-stage process that starts at adoption and extends to use. Thus, the effect of collaborative technologies on innovation is examined not only directly, the simple presence of collaborative technologies, but also based on actual collaborative technologies’ use. Given the fact that firms can use this technology for different purposes, collaborative technologies’ use is measured according to three orientations: e-information, e-communication and e-workflow. To achieve these objectives, a research model is developed for assessing, on the one hand, the impact of the adoption and use of collaborative technologies on innovation and, on the other hand, the relationship between adoption and use of collaborative technologies. The research model is tested using a dataset of 310 Spanish SMEs. The results showed that collaborative technologies’ adoption is positively related to innovation. Also, as hypothesized, distinct collaborative technologies were found to be associated to different uses. In addition, the study found that while e-information had a positive and significant impact on innovation, e-communication and e-workflow did not.


Author(s):  
Francis L.F. Lee ◽  
Joseph M. Chan

Chapter 8 discusses the impact of digital media on collective memory. The chapter examines both the positive and negative impact of digital and social media. On the one hand, the analysis notes how digital media provided the channels for memory mobilization and the archives for memory transmission. On the other hand, the analysis examines the problematics of memory balkanization. It explicates how political forces have shaped the development of digital and social media in Hong Kong and how competing representations of the Tiananmen Incident and commemoration activities are articulated and reinforced within distinctive memory silos.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-301
Author(s):  
Franz Baader ◽  
Clément Théron

Abstract We investigate the impact that general concept inclusions and role-value maps have on the complexity and decidability of reasoning in the description logic $$\mathcal{FL}_0$$ FL 0 . On the one hand, we give a more direct proof for ExpTime-hardness of subsumption w.r.t. general concept inclusions in $$\mathcal{FL}_0$$ FL 0 . On the other hand, we determine restrictions on role-value maps that ensure decidability of subsumption, but we also show undecidability for the cases where these restrictions are not satisfied.


Legal Studies ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 602-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Rackley

This paper reconsiders images of the judge and, in particular, the position of the woman judge using fairy tale and myth. It begins by exploring the actuality of women's exclusion within the judiciary, traditional explanations for this and the impact of recent changes. It goes on to consider the image of the Herculean judge, arguing that whilst we may view him as an ideological construct, or even as a fairy tale, we routinely deny this to ourselves and to others. This both ensures the normative survival of Hercules and simultaneously constrains counter-images of judges, including that of the woman judge, who becomes almost a contradiction in terms, faced with the need to shed her difference and fit the fairy tale. Like the little mermaid, the woman judge must trade her voice for partial acceptance in the prince's world.This image of silencing which Andersen's tale so vividly captures highlights a paradox in current discourses of adjudication. On the one hand, women judges are viewed as desirable in order to broaden the range of perspectives on the bench, thus making the judiciary more representative; on the other hand, judges are supposed to be without perspective, thus suggesting there is little need for a representative judiciary. Feminists and other commentators negotiate their way uncomfortably through this territory, acknowledging a gender dimension to adjudication, but failing fully to confront its implications. This paper seeks to ‘undress’ the judge, to flush out images of adjudication which deter or prevent women from joining the judiciary and constrain their potential within it. It highlights both the role of the imagination in existing conceptions of adjudication and the increasing necessity for a re-imagined Hercules – an alternative understanding of the judge which women and other groups currently underrepresented on the bench can comfortably and constructively occupy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 2971-2974
Author(s):  
Pavan Kumar K ◽  
Sudhakar P Reddy

Background: In India, 42 million people are suffering from thyroid disorders, out of which hypothyroidism is most common with a prevalence of 5.4%. It is more prevalent among females with the male-female ratio being 1:6. Hypothyroidism is a clinical syndrome resulting from a deficiency of thyroid hormones, which in turn results in a generalized slowing down of metabolic processes. Impaired metabolism can be compared with vitiation of Agni causing Agnimandhya according to Ayurveda. Agnimandhya further hampers the formations of Ahara Rasa and consecutive Dhatus Nirmana, diminishing the metabolism, thereby causing features similar to hypothyroidism. The objective of the Study: To assess the impact of diet & lifestyle on the prevalence of Hypothyroidism in Females. Materials and Methods: It is a cross-sectional survey study. A total of 150 female subjects were selected for the study. With the help of a validated pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire, the interview was conducted on female subjects diagnosed with Hypothyroidism to assess the impact of diet and lifestyle on the prevalence of Hypothy- roidism in and around Mysuru city. Result: In the survey study, the majority of the hypothyroidism diagnosed subjects followed unhealthy daily regimes and the majority percentage of them practised unwholesome diet, food habits and lifestyle. Diet and lifestyle have a direct influence on the occurrence of hypothyroidism. Conclusion: Hypothyroidism is a metabolic disorder is mainly caused by Agni Mandhya and Rasa Pradoshaja as a result of faulty diet and lifestyle. One should follow Dincharya, Rutucharya and other Ayurveda principles to protect the Agni and thereby prevent Hypothyroidism. The practice of Ahita Ahara Vidhi and Ahita Vihara in the manifestation of Agnimandhya, followed by the development of features of hypothyroidism was substantiated by the result of the survey. Keywords: Hypothyroidism; Diet; Lifestyle; Agnimandhya; Rasa Pradoshaja Vikara.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 91-101
Author(s):  
T.N. Soboleva ◽  

The article is devoted to the poorly studied problem of the formation of talent in the conditions of different degrees of freedom in activity and the impact on that formation of a person’s conservative and innovative semantic attitudes towards the introduction of new equipment. The main objective of the study is to describe how the conditions of different degrees of freedom in the activity are refracted with internal conditions, which are conservative and innovative semantic attitudes and various talent structures. The study was conducted on a sample of 54 qualified railway drivers using a specialized simulator which allows to simulate three degrees of freedom in the activity. The psychological analysis of the activity revealed seven abilities ensuring the implementation of the activity. Based on empirical data, the article shows that low, medium and high degrees of freedom in activity are manifested in different degrees of productivity. Conservative and innovative semantic attitudes to the introduction of new equipment do not have a significant effect on the productivity of the activity in the conditions of different degrees of freedom. Along with this, depending on the conservative and innovative semantic attitudes, different structures of talent in terms of composition and degree of integration under the conditions of different degrees of freedom in the activity are formed. On the one hand, conservative and innovative semantic attitudes act as internal determinants; on the other hand, low, medium and high degrees of freedom in the activity act as external determinants of the formation of various talent structures.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248684
Author(s):  
Hridaya Raj Devkota ◽  
Tula Ram Sijali ◽  
Ramji Bogati ◽  
Meraj Ahmad ◽  
Karuna Laxmi Shakya ◽  
...  

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been creating a panic and distressing situations among the entire population globally including Nepal. No study has been conducted assessing the psychological impact of this pandemic on the general public in Nepal. The objective of this study is to assess the mental health status during COVID-19 outbreak and explore the potential influencing factors among the population attending the hospital fever clinics with COVID–19 symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May—June, 2020 with a sample of 645 participants aged 18 and above in 26 hospitals across Nepal. Telephone interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire along with a validated psychometric tool, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS-21) scale. The metrics and scores of symptoms and their severity were created and analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association of potential covariates with outcome variables. Results The prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress were 14%, 7% and 5% respectively. In reference to Karnali, participants from Bagmati province reported higher level of anxiety (OR 3.44, 95% CI 1.31–9.06), while stress (OR 4.27, 95% CI 1.09–18.32) and depressive symptoms (OR 3.11, 95% CI 1.05–9.23) observed higher among the participants in Province 1. Women were more at risk of anxiety (OR 3.41, 95% CI 1.83–6.36) than men. Similarly, people currently living in rented houses reported more stress (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.05–8.43) and those living far from family reported higher rates of depressive symptoms (OR 3.44, 95% CI 1.03–11.46). Conclusion The study identified increased prevalence of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms during the initial stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. Considering the findings, there is urgent need to develop and implement appropriate community-based mental health programs targeting individuals who have had COVID-19 symptoms and who are prone to develop adverse mental health outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. M. T. B. Herath ◽  
K. W. S. M. Wijayawardhana ◽  
U. I. Wickramarachchi ◽  
Chaturaka Rodrigo

Abstract Background Euthanasia is a topic of intense ethical debate and it is illegal in most countries at present, including Sri Lanka. The aim of this descriptive cross-sectional study of medical students and practicing doctors was to explore the acceptance of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide (PAS), and factors influencing this opinion. Methods A customised online questionnaire which explored opinions on euthanasia was administered to first and final year medical undergraduates in University of Colombo and practicing doctors with more than 5 years of work experience at The National Hospital of Sri Lanka. Attitudes on euthanasia and PAS were also assessed with the attitudes towards euthanasia (ATE) Scale, which is a 10-item questionnaire. Results A total of 425 individuals responded (males: 178, 42%, age: median – 27 years), which included 143 (33.6%) first-year medical undergraduates, 141 (33.2%) final-year medical undergraduates and 141 (33.2%) practicing doctors. More participants (200, 47.1%) favoured legalizing euthanasia than those directly opposing it (110, 25.9%), but a significant proportion (27%) remained undecided. The mean scores of ATE questionnaire from the whole sample were generally unfavourable towards euthanasia/PAS. Accepting euthanasia as an option for oneself (p =  < 0.001) was the strongest predictor of favouring euthanasia/PAS or supporting its legalization. Conclusion In this cross-sectional survey, more respondents supported legalisation of euthanasia in Sri Lanka than those openly opposing it. Yet, a significant minority that responded as “undecided” for legalisation, were more likely to have unfavourable ATE.


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