A study published in the journal JAMA Oncology examined the results of Oregon’s aid-in-dying legislation from its enactment in 1998 until 2015. Researchers used publicly available data from the Oregon Health Authority, in addition to supplemental information, to analyze the number of deaths that occurred from self-administered lethal medication versus the number of prescriptions written.
Here are six takeaways from the study.
1. Researchers discovered approximately 1,545 prescriptions were written during the 17-year time frame. Roughly 991 patients opted to die using legally prescribed lethal medication.
2. Approximately 509 (or 51.4 percent) of the 991 patients were male, while 482 (48.6 percent) were female.
3. The median age of those requesting aid-in-dying assistance was 71 years.
4. The number of prescriptions written during the time frame increased from 24 prescriptions in 1998 to 218 prescriptions in 2015.
5. Of the 991 patients that opted for lethal medication, 762 (77 percent) of patients had cancer, 79 (8 percent) had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 44 (4.5 percent) had lung disease, 26 (2.6 percent) had heart disease and 9 (0.9 percent) had HIV.
6. The most common reason patients cited for requesting lethal prescriptions was that daily living activities were no longer enjoyable (89.7 percent). Other reasons included the loss of autonomy (91.6 percent), dignity (78.7 percent) and inadequate pain control (25.2 percent).
To view the study’s results in full, click here.
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