Table 2

GPs' adherence to legal due care requirements for euthanasia.

	Case^a									Total number of cases in which requirement was met

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Substantive requirements

Patient is ≥18 years	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	9

Request
Voluntary, and not result of any external pressure	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	9
Explicit	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	9
In writing	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	–	+	8
Well-considered	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	9
Repeated	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	9

Medical condition
Constant and unbearable physical or psychological suffering	+	+	+	–	+	+	+	+	+	8
Resulting from serious and incurable condition, caused by accident or illness	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	9
Hopeless/no prospect of improvement	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	9

Total number of substantive requirements met per case (maximum 9)	9	9	9	8	9	9	9	8	9

Procedural requirements

Inform patient about health condition and life expectancy	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	9

Consultation
Second physician consulted	+	+	+	+	+	+	–	–	–	6
Second physician was independent from patient and attending physician	+	–	+	+	+	–	NA	NA	NA	4
Report decision-making process in medical file	+	+	–	+	–	–	+	+	+	6
Report case to Federal Control and Evaluation Committee Euthanasia	+	+	+	+	+	–	–	–	–	5

Total number of procedural requirements met per case (maximum 5)	5	4	4	5	4	2	2	2	2

Total number of all requirements met per case (maximum 14)	14	13	13	13	13	11	11	10	11

+ = Physician adhered to legal requirement. – = Physician did not adhere to legal requirement. NA = not applicable.
↵a Cases are ordered according to total number of all legal due care requirements met, with case 1 being the case in which most legal due care requirements were met.