When is a person dead? The Canadian public’s understanding of death and death determination: a nationwide survey
Authors' conclusion
Among the Canadian public, the understanding of neurologic and circulatory death determination is variable. More uncertainty exists with death determination by neurologic criteria than with circulatory criteria.
Study context
- Population
- Representative sample of the Canadian public50.8% women
- Participants
- 2,000 participants
- Outcome
- Understanding and perception of how death is determined in Canada (belief that a man meeting neurologic [scenario 1] or circulatory [scenario 2] death criteria was dead)
Methodological detailsnationwide, representative sample, survey
- Nationwide
- Representative sample
- Survey
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Scenario 1 (neurologic criteria): believed dead, n = 1,344
67.2%
Scenario 2 (circulatory criteria): believed dead, n = 1,623
81.2%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Predictors of disbelief in death, scenario 1 (neurologic)
- Younger age, discomfort with the topic of death, subscribing to a religion
Predictors of disbelief in death, scenario 2 (circulatory)
- Younger age, residing in Quebec (vs Ontario), high school education, subscribing to a religion
Factors that may increase agreement with death determination (respondents believing not dead or unsure)
- More information on how death was determined, seeing brain imaging/test results, a third doctor's opinion
Interest in learning more about death and death determination
- Interested
- 63.3%
Preferred information source
- Their health care professional
- 50.9%
- Written information provided by their health care professional
- 42.7%
Original publication
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →