Conscience-Based Barriers to Medical Aid in Dying: A Survey of Colorado Physicians.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Approximately 20% of the United States' population lives in a state or jurisdiction where medical aid in dying (MAiD) is legal. It is unknown how physicians' own barriers are associated with their provision of the spectrum of MAiD services.

Objective

To measure physicians' religious and/or ethical barriers to providing MAiD services and how such barriers relate to physicians' intentions and behaviors.

Design

Three-wave cross-sectional survey fielded in Colorado in 2020-2021.

Participants

Physicians providing care to patients likely clinically eligible for MAiD according to probabilistic sampling.

Main measures

Physicians self-reported barriers to their own participation in MAiD. We considered large ethical and/or religious barriers to be consc

SUBMITTER: Hamer MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11618266 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature