Assisted Suicide in Switzerland

June 4, 2026 updated by: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)

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.

...

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Detailed Description

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.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

25

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
        • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

25 transcripts of interviews with: Academics 14, Physicians and other medical care 6, Right to die associations 4, Government official 1

Description

  • 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.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Case-Only
  • Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Experts in Swiss assisted suicide
Persons in Switzerland who are experts in how assisted suicide is practiced. We will beexamining already collected interviews.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Descriptive study
Time Frame: Ongoing
This is a qualitative descriptive study of transcripts.
Ongoing

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Scott Y Kim, M.D., National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 3, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 6, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 6, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

February 7, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 4, 2026

Last Verified

December 2, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 999920059
  • 20-CC-N059

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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