When medical assistance in dying is not a last resort option: survey of the Canadian public.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

What are the Canadian public's understanding of and views toward medical assistance in dying (MAID) in persons refusing recommended treatment or lacking access to standard treatment or resources?

Design/setting

An online survey assessed knowledge of and support for Canadian MAID law, and views about four specific scenarios in a two (medical or psychiatric) by two (treatment refusal or lack of access) design.

Participants

A quota sample (N=2140) matched to the 2021 Canadian census by age, gender, income, education and province.

Main outcomes

Participants' level of support for MAID in general and in the four specific scenarios.

Results

Only 12.1% correctly answered ≥4 of 5 knowledge questions about the MAID law; only 19.2% knew terminal illness

SUBMITTER: Choi WJW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11328651 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature