En France, près de la moitié des décès (48 % en 2010) a été précédée d'une décision médicale ayant pu hâter la mort du patient. Mais des médicaments ont été donnés pour mettre délibérément fin à la vie dans seulement moins de 1 % des cas. Les décisions prises s'appuient dans...

In France, almost half of deaths (48% in 2010) are preceded by a medical decision that may hasten death. But only in 1% of cases are drugs administered to deliberately end life. The large majority of decisions taken are based on the provisions of the Leonetti Act, which enables physicians, under...

As people grow older, they face an increasing risk of loss of autonomy. When assistance with the activities of daily living becomes indispensable, this leads to dependence. Women live for longer than men, and outnumber them at advanced ages. They are also more frequently affected by disabilities...

Reliable data on the total number of physicians practicing in France cannot be obtained from national professional or administrative files which are not kept to date. From a public health standpoint, the total number of physicians' posts in establishments matters more than the actual total...