[Physicians' attitudes toward death and dying].

INTRODUCTION: In the study the physicians' knowledge and attitude was examined towards death and dying. During the study a questionnaire survey was executed, including 124 physicians (family doctors from Budapest and from the country, hospital and clinical doctors) in which there were questions edited by the authors and also used the Lester and Neirmeyer scales to assess the fear of death. AIMS: The aim was to assess how much the physicians were prepared during their education to face with dying people and death, how much they are able to get in touch with dying patients, and how much they are afraid of death. METHODS: The questionnaires evaluated by the SPSS statistical program. RESULTS: According to results most physicians in Hungary have a very little knowledge with regard to death and dying. This lack of knowledge, their own fears and refusal in connection with the transitoriness can have a negative influence on their relationship with dying people: their attitudes towards dying are generally negative, many of them try to avoid dealing with the questions worrying the dying people and if after all there is a communication situation most of them avoid the more difficult fields instead. CONCLUSIONS: To draw attention to these problems, to point out the necessity of the gradual education of issues connected to death and dying and to stress how important is to mold attitudes towards dying people. The study is finished with some particular education program-proposals.