Table 1.

Intentions toward dying

Patients' statements expressing their wishes about the end of their life can fall into one or more of the following categories:
Wish to live
Acceptance of dying
Wish to die
Not considering hastening death
1 Looking forward to dying
2 Hoping that dying happens more quickly
3 Desiring to die (but hastening death is not considered)
Considering hastening death
4 Hypothetically considering hastening death (in future, if certain things happen)
5 Actually considering hastening death, but at the moment (for moral or other reasons) it is not an option
6 Actually considering hastening death, hastening death is a (moral) option
Will to die
7 Explicit request
8 Refusing life-sustaining support (such as food or treatments) with the intention of hastening death
9 Acting toward dying (such as suicide or assisted dying)