Sedation to Relieve Pain: Who Benefits from It in the Overseas Territories?

In 2010, INED conducted metropolitan France's first national survey on end-of-life medical decisions with doctors in charge of death certification. There have been since several changes specifically in 2016,the recognizing end-of-life patients' right of continuing deep sedation (CDS) until death. However, there is little documentation on application of the procedure. 
A recent replication of the survey in the country's overseas départements that covers non-sudden deaths occurring there in 2021-2022 provides  new data.
According to doctors' statements, 12% of deceased patients underwent deep sedation which was almost always intended to relieve what is deemed unbearable suffering, almost never to shorten the patient's life. 
The data for these départements also bring to light unequal access to CDS, particularly among the elderly and persons who die at home.

At a time when the country is debating further palliative care measures and the introduction of a form of active medical assistance in dying, keeping track of these pratcices is. INED is currently preparing a new survey of metropolitan France on the issue.