Author: Kenneth Chambaere
Date: 03-05-2010
Promoters: Prof. dr. Luc Deliens
Co-promotors: Prof. dr. Fredy Mortier and Prof. dr. Johan Bilsen
SUMMARY OF THE DISSERTATION
Background
In recent years increasing attention has been paid to end-of-life issues. A topic of specific interest to medical practitioners, ethicists and policy concerns medical end-of-life practices with a potential or certain life-shortening effect, such as euthanasia, the withdrawal of life-prolonging treatment and continuous deep sedation until death. This book focuses on the occurrence and characteristics of end-of-life practices in the Flemish and Brussels-Capital regions of Belgium, a country where euthanasia can be legally performed.
Methods and results
Using a robust and reliable research method based on large and representative samples of death certificates, this research will provide insight into the influence of legal changes on end-of-life practice, the decisionmaking process preceding end-of-life practices, the care put in to their performance, and the differences between diverse patient groups, and between regions and language groups within Belgium. As such, it provides answers to a number of important ethical issues concerning medical end-of-life practices. Medical end-of-life practices in Flanders and Brussels, Belgium was written as a PhD dissertation.
