Public opinion on laws that would allow physician-assisted suicide is closely divided, with 47% of U.S. adults approving and 49% disapproving of laws that would allow medical doctors to prescribe lethal doses of drugs for terminally ill patients who choose to commit suicide. The opinion divide over this issue is virtually unchanged from a 2005 […]
Washington, D.C. Nov. 21, 2013 — At a time of national debate over health care costs and insurance, a new Pew Research Center survey on end-of-life decisions finds most Americans say there are some circumstances in which doctors and nurses should allow a patient to die. At the same time, however, a growing minority says […]
In addition to asking about people’s preferences for their own end-of-life medical treatment, the Pew Research survey included a more general question to gauge views on the issue. In this question, respondents were asked whether there are any circumstances in which medical staff should allow a patient to die or whether doctors and nurses should […]
After six eventful months, Pope Francis is rated favorably by eight-in-ten U.S. Catholics (79%), largely unchanged since the days immediately following his ascension to the papacy.
The Pew Research survey asked respondents about their personal preferences for medical treatment in different scenarios. A majority of adults (57%) say they would ask their doctors to stop medical treatment if they had a disease with no hope of improvement and they were suffering a great deal of pain, while 35% would tell their […]