Medscape Medical News, an American news site for physicians, published the results of a recent poll showing that the number of US physicians who support the concept of assisted death is on the rise.
Although the poll shows rising support, even in States where it is legal, few doctors have done so. Almost 300 physicians responded to the poll. Sixteen percent of them practice in States with a physician-assisted dying law. 17% said that they assisted a patient to die, 13% they had received a request, but had declined. 70% said they had never been asked to assist.
62% of the respondent physicians that practice in States where there is no physician-assisted dying law said that they had been in a situation in which they wished the patient could have been able to get assistance in dying.
In the US, six States now allow physician-assisted dying.