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Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT04261088

Assisted Suicide in Switzerland

Background:

Researchers want to learn more about how the Swiss model of assisted suicide works. To do this, they have interviewed 25 Swiss experts. The researchers will draw on research in the fields of ethics, law, and medicine to analyze the transcripts.

Objective:

To describe the practice of assisted suicide in Switzerland and to study how the policy is carried out, how the right-to-die societies work, and the ethical implications of the practice.

Eligibility:

Swiss experts in the field of assisted suicide

Design:

The study includes 25 interviews that have already been conducted. The participants were:

* academics * doctors and others in medical care * a government official * representatives of right-to-die societies.

Researchers will analyze the data using qualitative methods. Two researchers will develop a coding scheme and code the texts and analyze the data.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Assisted Suicide Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Death Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Self-Injurious Behavior Suicide Suicide, Assisted

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

About this study

Switzerland is the only country in the world that enables assisted suicide by lay people, i.e.,

people who are not physicians. All other countries that have adopted aid-in-dying legislation

require that a physician provides this assistance. This project probes the reasons for adopting this policy, and the advantages and the disadvantages of the Swiss model at the end of life. Are the Swiss aid-in-dying volunteers able to provide well-informed assistance to patients in need? Is the Swiss model one to be followed by other nations? The project will focus on the work of the Swiss aid-in-dying societies. The study draws on research in the fields of ethics, law and medicine. Its novelty lies in incorporating different methods of analysis, reflecting on the right to die with dignity within a liberal framework that aims to respect fundamental human rights.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

  • INCLUSION/EXCLUSION:

The study includes 25 interviews with Swiss experts that have been conducted.

  • Gender: Men 14, Women 11
  • Backgrounds of interviewees: Academics 14, Physicians and other medical care 6, Right to die associations 4, Government official 1
  • Race and ethnicity: All white Swiss.
  • Age range: Unknown, but all are adults.
  • No vulnerable populations.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Descriptive study

    Time frame: Ongoing

    This is a qualitative descriptive study of transcripts.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)

Nih

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Feb 7, 2020
Registry last updated
Jul 16, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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