Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39375218›Full record

ArticleBundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz2025

[Dealing with assisted suicide-knowledge, attitudes and experiences of members of the German Association for Palliative Medicine].

Jacqueline Schwartz, Yann-Nicolas Batzler, Manuela Schallenburger, Alexandra Scherg, Jonas Jansen, Stefan Meier, Remo Küppers, Heiner Melching, Ulrich Grabenhorst, Wiebke Nehls and 2 more

Abstract readEnglish Abstract
In one paragraph

Article in Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. [Voluntariness of requests for assisted suicide].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2026
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Jacqueline SchwartzUniversitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Palliativmedizin, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Deutschland.
Yann-Nicolas BatzlerUniversitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Palliativmedizin, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Deutschland. yann-nicolas.batzler@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
Manuela SchallenburgerUniversitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Palliativmedizin, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Deutschland.
Alexandra SchergPalliativmedizin, 2. Medizinische Klinik, Universitäres Cancer Center Hamburg, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Deutschland.
Jonas JansenKlinik für Akut- und Notfallmedizin, Rheinland Klinikum, Lukaskrankenhaus, Neuss, Deutschland.
Stefan MeierKlinik für Anästhesiologie, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Deutschland.
Remo KüppersKlinik für Anästhesiologie, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Deutschland.
Heiner MelchingDeutsche Gesellschaft für Palliativmedizin, Berlin, Deutschland.
Ulrich GrabenhorstSAPV-Team HomeCare Linker Niederrhein gGmbH, Viersen, Deutschland.
Wiebke NehlsKlinik für Palliativmedizin und Geriatrie, Helios Klinikum Emil von Behring, Berlin, Deutschland.
Claudia BauseweinKlinik und Poliklinik für Palliativmedizin, LMU Klinikum München, München, Deutschland.
Martin NeukirchenUniversitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Palliativmedizin, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Deutschland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn February 2020, the Federal Constitutional Court declared § 217 of the German Criminal Code void. Ever since, assisted suicide services have been legal in Germany. This study aims to describe the knowledge, attitudes and experiences of members of the German Association for Palliative Medicine (DGP) regarding assisted suicide.

methodsOnline survey with members of the DGP from July to September 2023 using Qualtrics®. The study group developed the questionnaire based on current literature; it was adapted following an initial application among young physicians and an interprofessional panel of experts with consensus voting. Data was analysed using descriptive and explorative statistics.

results991 DGP-members (18%) participated, of which physicians made up 57.0% (n = 545/957) and nurses 23.4% (n = 224/957). Of the participants, 197/851 (23.1%) incorrectly stated that assisted suicide is prohibited by professional code, 430/914 (47.1%) rejected a restriction of palliative care teams to suicide prevention measures, and 766/930 (82.4%) rejected personal involvement in assisted suicide regardless of a patient's health status. For patients in palliative situations, 473/926 (51.1%) could imagine participating in assisted suicide, and 71% wanted new legislation regulating assisted suicide.

conclusionThere are gaps in the knowledge of the participating members of the DGP regarding the legal and professional status of assisted suicide. Further educational work is needed in this regard. The participants can more easily imagine assisted suicide for people in palliative disease trajectories. As in surveys of members of other medical societies, the attitudes of more experienced staff are reflected. Compared to younger healthcare professionals, they have a more restrictive attitude towards the concept of assisted suicide.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticePalliative CarePalliative MedicineSuicide, AssistedAdultFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedSocieties, MedicalSurveys and Questionnaires§ 217 German Criminal CodeAssisted suicideAttitude of health personnelDesire to dieGerman Association for Palliative Medicine

Identifiers

PMID39375218
PMCPMC11774969

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.