DOVER — Current legislation that would allow terminally ill patients to seek medical assistance to end their suffering is supported by nearly three-fourths of Delaware physicians, according to a new study.

The study, which was sponsored by the Compassion & Choices Action Network, was conducted by NüPOINT Market Research from May 23 to June 6. During the study, 147 randomly selected Delaware physicians were surveyed, including 75 physicians who are members of the Medical Society of Delaware.

Physicians were surveyed regarding their support of House Bill 140, which would allow terminally ill individuals who are residents of Delaware to request and take medication to end their life and their suffering. The bill states that in order for a patient to receive this treatment, their attending physician, or an attending advanced practice registered nurse and a consulting physician or consulting APRN, must agree on the patient’s diagnosis, their decision-making capacity and that the individual is acting voluntarily.

HB 140 was introduced on June 30 of last year and was placed on the ready list after receiving required support from the House Health & Human Development committee on Jan. 19 of this year.

On May 19, the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Paul Baumbach, D-Newark, introduced an amendment that made several clarifications to the legislation, including informed consent protocols for physicians and APRNs and how to dispose of any unused medications. The amendment also allowed the Department of State to set regulations and develop protocols for these procedures, and established when the act would go into effect if passed. The amendment was ultimately passed and placed with the bill.

HB 140, also known as the Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of Life Options Law, was named in honor of Mr. Silverio and Ms. Block, two terminally ill Delawareans who advocated for this type of legislation prior to their deaths. In 2017, both Mr. Silverio and Ms. Block advocated for HB 160, which also would have expanded end-of-life options for terminally ill patients, but after the bill passed in committee, it was not heard during the 149th General Assembly.

The NüPOINT Market Research study found that 74% of physicians in Delaware support HB 140, and that 77% of members of the Medical Society of Delaware who were surveyed also supported the legislation.

According to the survey, 70.7% of Delaware physicians said they would like the option to end their suffering should they themselves become terminally ill, while 16.3% said they would not want that option.

A 2020 study by survey research and strategic consulting organization GBAO Strategies found that 72% of Delaware voters supported providing terminally ill patients the opportunity to end their suffering.

In a Compassion & Choices Action Network press release after the results of the NüPOINT Market Research study were released, Tim Appleton, Delaware campaign director for the Compassion & Choices Action Network, said HB 140 must be passed.

“The evidence from these two polls is clear: Delaware doctors and the patients they serve, regardless of their background, are overwhelmingly united in support of medical aid in dying,” Mr. Appleton said.

“It’s time Delaware lawmakers honor their constituents’ wishes and pass the End of Life Options Act before this session ends.”

Additionally, the survey found that 54.7% of physicians who were Medical Society of Delaware members said the organization should support HB 140, while 26.7% said the organization should take a neutral stance and serve as an information resource. Of these surveyed members, 8% said the Medical Society of Delaware should remain silent, while 10.7% said the organization should outright oppose the legislation. Of the 75 members surveyed, 52% said they would be willing to write a prescription for a qualified, terminally ill patient if HB 140 becomes law.

After the study was released, Dr. Anna Marie D’Amico, a Medical Society of Delaware member and a physician at ChristianaCare, said in the press release that these decisions should be left up to the terminally ill patient.

“These survey results come as no surprise to me because doctors understand that ethical decisions are complex,” Dr. D’Amico said.

“Speaking strictly for myself, I believe these intensely personal end-of-life care decisions should be made by the dying individual, not by the doctor, and not by the government. Those who wish to leave this world using medical aid in dying love life and their families as much as those who make other decisions.”

HB 140 has been placed on the ready list for a full chamber vote. If it passes, the bill would be assigned to a Senate committee for consideration with just nine legislative days left in the session.