Table 1

Calculation of the ‘honesty score’

Question about end-of-life practices	Willing to give an honest answer
Question about end-of-life practices	Yes	No
If the following questions were in a legitimate survey, would you answer honestly?
1. Can you recall causing the death of a patient by the use of a drug prescribed, supplied or administered by you with the explicit intention of hastening the end of that patient's life?	3	−1
2. Can you recall causing the death of a patient by withdrawing treatment with the explicit intention of hastening the end of that patient's life?	3	−2
With reference to the death of a specific patient (ie, named patient), did you withhold or withdraw treatment:
3. Taking into account the possibility that this would hasten the patient's death?	1	−3
4. Partly to hasten the patient's death?	2	−2
5. With the explicit intention of hastening the patient's death?	3	−1
With reference to the death of a specific patient (ie, named patient), did you intensify the alleviation of pain and suffering:
6. Taking into account the possibility that this would hasten the patient's death?	1	−3
7. Partly to hasten the patient's death?	2	−2
8. With the explicit intention of hastening the patient's death?	3	−1

Points are allocated according to the potential riskiness of providing an honest answer to each question. Thus, for example, willingness to answer question 1 honestly is scored highly because it could possibly lead to prosecution, and unwillingness is not highly penalised because reluctance to take such a risk is understandable.
The honesty scores are not intended to show relative difference nor provide any indication of the absolute likelihood of answering honestly or dishonestly.