PUBLICATIONS
Medical Assistance in Dying: A Review of Related Canadian
News Media Texts
In this paper, we outline findings from our review of representations of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in Canadian news media texts since its legalization. These stories reflect the concerns, priorities, and experiences of key stakeholders and function pedagogically, shaping public opinion about MAiD. We identify four key themes (vulnerability, autonomy, dignity, and human rights), and discuss their implications for health policy and equity. These representations offer a useful gauge of how views about MAiD continue to shift alongside changes in federal legislation.
Rural healthcare professionals’ participation in Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): beyond a binary decision
In this article we explore rural healthcare professionals’ experiences with medical assistance in dying (MAiD) against the backdrop of legislative expansion. Between the binary positions of full support for and conscientious objection to assisted dying, rural healthcare professionals’ decisions to participate in MAiD was based on their moral convictions, various contextual factors, and their participation thresholds. We found that a variety of factors including patient suffering; personal and professional values and beliefs; relationships with colleagues, patients and family, and community; and changing MAiD policy and legislation, created nuances that informed their decision-making. Our findings suggest evolving policy and legislation have the potential to increase rural healthcare professionals’ uncertainty and level of discomfort in providing these services.
Placing MAiD: A qualitative study of medical assistance in dying in rural Alberta
Considerable attention has been paid to medical assistance in dying (MAiD) eligibility criteria and related ethical issues, but there has been less discussion of the ways in which social and geographic aspects of place influence people’s experiences of this service. In this paper, we share findings from a qualitative study on MAiD in rural Alberta. We outline our findings related to the specifics of place (e.g., geographic location and cultural context), the realities of the relational rural (e.g., dual relationships and limited privacy), and the ways in which rural residents “work with what they’ve got” for MAiD care (e.g., working within the constraints of limited resources and geographic isolation). Our study provides empirical data that confirms, extends, and challenges current thinking about MAiD in rural settings. We argue that MAiD policy and service provision ought to be context-sensitive and attentive to the particularities of rural settings.
Medical assistance in dying in rural communities: A review of Canadian policies and guidelines
In June 2016, the Canadian Parliament passed Bill C-14, legalizing medical assistance in dying (MAiD). However, there is a paucity of scholarship regarding the distinct implications of this change for rural communities. This is significant given that rurality is an underrecognized but important determinant of health. In order to address this gap, we conducted a rural-focused scan of policies, guidelines, and legislation that govern the practice of MAiD in Alberta, Canada (N = 16). Drawing from rural health scholarship, we reviewed these documents with a focus on three key rural considerations (place, community, and relationships). Through an analysis of these findings, we identified four opportunities where policy can better serve rural communities (geographic location, continuity of care, dual relationships, and systemic barriers).
