Large Majorities Support Doctor Assisted Suicide for Terminally Ill Patients in Great Pain

NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Harris/BBC World News America poll finds that large majorities of Americans now favor physician assisted suicide and euthanasia for terminally ill patients in great pain who wish to end their lives. It also finds that a majority of people over 65 now have written directives regarding the type of care they would like to receive, or not to receive, at the end stages of their lives.

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These are some of the results of BBC World News America/Harris Poll of 2,340 adults surveyed online between August 19 and 23, 2010 by Harris Interactive.

Key findings in this new poll include:

• Most people (56% of all adults) know someone, living or dead, who has created written directives or documented instructions, often called living wills, that express their wishes for the type of care they would like to receive at the end stages of their lives;
• While only about a quarter (28%) of adults have written directives themselves, this increases with age. Almost two-thirds (63%) of adults over 65 have executed written directives;
• More than two-thirds (70%) of all adults agree that people who are terminally ill, in great pain and who have no chance of recovery should have the right to choose to end their lives. This includes a majority, but a smaller percentage (62%), of people over 65.  Only 17% of the public disagree;
• Two-thirds of all adults (67%) think that doctors should be allowed to advise terminally ill patients who request the information on alternatives to medical treatment and/or ways to end their lives. However only 27% think doctors should be able to do this in all cases, while 40% think this should happen only in "certain cases," that were not defined in this survey; and,
• A 58% to 20% majority, with 22% not sure, think that "the law should allow doctors to comply with the wishes of a dying patient in severe distress who asks to have his or her life ended."  In other words, a majority of adults say they support physician-assisted suicide for such patients.

So what?

This new poll confirms that substantial majorities of the public now favor physician-assisted suicide, and the right of some terminally ill patients to commit suicide. However, in reviewing these measurements of public opinion it is worth noting that that the real world is often more nuanced and complicated than these blanket hypothetical scenarios. How certain is one that the patient really is terminally ill?  How much distress or pain is required to justify suicide or assisted suicide?

And then there are numerous religious and ethical issues not addressed in this survey.

Methodology

This BBC World News America/Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between August 19 and 23, 2010 among 2,340 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The Harris Poll® #9, January 25, 2011

By Humphrey Taylor, Chairman, The Harris Poll, Harris Interactive

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

About the BBC AMERICA

BBC AMERICA brings audiences a new generation of award-winning television featuring news with a uniquely global perspective, provocative dramas, razor-sharp comedies and life-changing makeovers.  BBC AMERICA pushes the boundaries to deliver high quality, highly addictive and eminently watchable programming to viewers who demand more.  BBC AMERICA is distributed by Discovery Networks.  It is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 64 million homes.  For up-to-the-minute information on BBC AMERICA, forthcoming U.S. premieres, art work and news from the channel, log on to www.press.bbcamerica.com.  

SOURCE Harris Interactive