I often think about the recent news that intensive care physicians in Belgium say that involuntary euthanasia is not only acceptable, but desirable. It is one of the most recent elements in the discussion about euthanasia. There are several aspects of this discussion that, once put together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, scare me.
Healthcare providers can have a much more negative perception of quality of life after an injury or an illness than the people actually experience. Indeed, only 17% of emergency health care providers believe they would have a good quality of life after a severe spinal cord injury. Yet, 86% of people with such an injury say that their quality of life is equal or better than before their accident.
What will be the impact of this negative perception of healthcare providers towards patients that are at risk of a significant disability? These intensive care physicians will decide whether a patient continues to live or not. And this decision will be influenced by their perception of disability.
I would not like to need to spend time in an Intensive Care unit in Belgium.
ShareMAY
2014
