Assisted SuicideNCT04261088
Assisted Suicide in Switzerland
An observational study of Assisted Suicide, run by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Background: Researchers want to learn more about how the Swiss model of assisted suicide works. To do this, they have interviewed 25 Swiss experts. The researchers will draw on research in the fields of ethics, law, and medicine to analyze the transcripts. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Assisted Suicide
- How many people
- 25 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 3 Feb 2020to 31 Jan 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: 25 transcripts of interviews with: Academics 14, Physicians and other medical care 6, Right to die associations 4, Government official 1
Who may be able to join
- The study includes 25 interviews with Swiss experts that have been conducted.
- Gender: Men 14, Women 11
- Backgrounds of interviewees: Academics 14, Physicians and other medical care 6, Right to die associations 4, Government official 1
- Race and ethnicity: All white Swiss.
- Age range: Unknown, but all are adults.
- No vulnerable populations.
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
Background:
Researchers want to learn more about how the Swiss model of assisted suicide works. To do this, they have interviewed 25 Swiss experts. The researchers will draw on research in the fields of ethics, law, and medicine to analyze the transcripts.
Read more
Objective:
To describe the practice of assisted suicide in Switzerland and to study how the policy is carried out, how the right-to-die societies work, and the ethical implications of the practice.
Eligibility:
Swiss experts in the field of assisted suicide
Design:
The study includes 25 interviews that have already been conducted. The participants were:
- academics
- doctors and others in medical care
- a government official
- representatives of right-to-die societies.
Researchers will analyze the data using qualitative methods. Two researchers will develop a coding scheme and code the texts and analyze the data.
Read the detailed description
Switzerland is the only country in the world that enables assisted suicide by lay people, i.e.,
people who are not physicians. All other countries that have adopted aid-in-dying legislation
require that a physician provides this assistance. This project probes the reasons for adopting this policy, and the advantages and the disadvantages of the Swiss model at the end of life. Are the Swiss aid-in-dying volunteers able to provide well-informed assistance to patients in need? Is the Swiss model one to be followed by other nations? The project will focus on the work of the Swiss aid-in-dying societies. The study draws on research in the fields of ethics, law and medicine. Its novelty lies in incorporating different methods of analysis, reflecting on the right to die with dignity within a liberal framework that aims to respect fundamental human rights.
- Conditions
- Assisted Suicide
- Keywords
- Ethics, Switzerland, End of life, Assisted Death, Natural History
- Medical subject headings
- Suicide, Assisted, Death
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experts in Swiss assisted suicide | Persons in Switzerland who are experts in how assisted suicide is practiced. We will beexamining already collected interviews. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Descriptive study
This is a qualitative descriptive study of transcripts.
Measured: Ongoing
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Feb 2020
- Study start3 Feb 2020
- Primary completion31 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Jan 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Assisted SuicideStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 25 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Scott Y Kim, M.D., Principal investigator, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04261088
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 999920059
- Other IDs
- 20-CC-N059
- Status last verified
- 2 Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 6 Feb 2020
- Last updated
- 13 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Assisted Suicide in Switzerland
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04261088
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 999920059
- Conditions
- Assisted Suicide
- Keywords
- Ethics, Switzerland, End of life, Assisted Death, Natural History
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 25 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- 3 Feb 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 7 Feb 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Background:
Researchers want to learn more about how the Swiss model of assisted suicide works. To do this, they have interviewed 25 Swiss experts. The researchers will draw on research in the fields of ethics, law, and medicine to analyze the transcripts.
Objective:
To describe the practice of assisted suicide in Switzerland and to study how the policy is carried out, how the right-to-die societies work, and the ethical implications of the practice.
Eligibility:
Swiss experts in the field of assisted suicide
Design:
The study includes 25 interviews that have already been conducted. The participants were:
- academics
- doctors and others in medical care
- a government official
- representatives of right-to-die societies.
Researchers will analyze the data using qualitative methods. Two researchers will develop a coding scheme and code the texts and analyze the data.
Detailed description
Switzerland is the only country in the world that enables assisted suicide by lay people, i.e.,
people who are not physicians. All other countries that have adopted aid-in-dying legislation
require that a physician provides this assistance. This project probes the reasons for adopting this policy, and the advantages and the disadvantages of the Swiss model at the end of life. Are the Swiss aid-in-dying volunteers able to provide well-informed assistance to patients in need? Is the Swiss model one to be followed by other nations? The project will focus on the work of the Swiss aid-in-dying societies. The study draws on research in the fields of ethics, law and medicine. Its novelty lies in incorporating different methods of analysis, reflecting on the right to die with dignity within a liberal framework that aims to respect fundamental human rights.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experts in Swiss assisted suicide | – | –Persons in Switzerland who are experts in how assisted suicide is practiced. We will beexamining already collected interviews. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- 25 transcripts of interviews with: Academics 14, Physicians and other medical care 6, Right to die associations 4, Government official 1
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- The study includes 25 interviews with Swiss experts that have been conducted.
- Gender: Men 14, Women 11
- Backgrounds of interviewees: Academics 14, Physicians and other medical care 6, Right to die associations 4, Government official 1
- Race and ethnicity: All white Swiss.
- Age range: Unknown, but all are adults.
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Descriptive study
Time frame: Ongoing
This is a qualitative descriptive study of transcripts.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Oct 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Scott Y Kim, M.D. principal investigator
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Assisted Suicide, run by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Descriptive study (time frame: Ongoing). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Oct 2026.