Table 1 Eight hypotheses about the Norwegian public’s moral views and attitudes towards non-treatment decisions
From: Citizen attitudes to non-treatment decision making: a Norwegian survey
Hypothesis | |
|---|---|
H1 | A majority think that withdrawing/withholding of life-prolonging treatment for UWS and MCS is morally acceptable |
H2 | There is lower acceptance of non-treatment decisions with increasing levels of patient awareness and function |
H3 | Respondents are more accepting of non-treatment decisions for themselves than for a third person |
H4 | In their evaluation of the morality of non-treatment decisions, respondents give weight to the patient’s own preferences |
H5 | In their evaluation of the morality of non-treatment decisions, a majority of respondents give weight to the costs of care and treatment |
H6 | Religious affiliation correlates negatively with acceptance of non-treatment decisions |
H7 | A large majority supports a competent patient’s right to refuse life-prolonging treatment |
H8 | A majority think that the views/decisions of health professionals should prevail over the views of next of kin when these conflict |