End-of-Life Decisions and Aid in Dying: Current Situations in Four European Countries

Abstract

End-of-life decisions may include matters concerning a living will, hospice care, life-sustaining treatments, and preferred funeral arrangements. Another important end-of-life decision pertains to euthanasia, which, permitted in some European countries, is also called physician-assisted suicide or aid in dying, depending on the method used for ending life. These countries have legal provisions in place that authorize the practice of euthanasia. In this article, we explore the euthanasia systems implemented in selected European countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and Spain.