Washington's "Death with Dignity" Program A Rarely Used Success, Says Study

While the "Death with Dignity" law in Washington State has sometimes sparked debate in the political realm, a new study has shown that in practical use, it's not that controversial. The study, published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, reveals that few people used physician-assisted suicide, and when they did, it was widely accepted.

The Death with Dignity Act was passed in Washington in November 2008, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, or SCCA, was charged with the task of figuring out how to set up the Death with Dignity Program. The following major rules, among many, were finally agreed upon: the program was not advertised, it was only patients who already were receiving cancer treatment were eligible, it was only available to patients who were terminally ill with fewer than six months to live, patients who wanted to die had to be told about hospice care, and they had to wait at least 15 days before being given the lethal treatment.

The study followed a group of 114 patients, which asked for information about the death with dignity program between March 2009 and December 2011. Of that group, 30 started the process but did not go through the process to get the prescription. 44 did not participate at all.

The remaining 40 patients got the prescription, which is for the barbiturate secobarbital, and out of that group, 24 took the medication and passed away. The remaining patients died as well, but ended up not taking the prescription but rather passing away due to their terminal conditions.

Overall, families of the terminally ill had positive feelings about the program, said the report: "Both patients and families frequently express gratitude after the patient receives the prescription, regardless of whether it is ever filled or ingested, typically referencing an important sense of control in an uncertain situation."

It makes sense that, for some, just having the option had a palliative effect - 97% of patients in the program surveyed said they found the "loss of autonomy" to be the scariest thing about their conditions.