How can we improve the experiences of patients and families who request medical assistance in dying? A multi-centre qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Medical assistance in dying has been available in Canada for 5 years, but it is unclear which practices contribute to high-quality care. We aimed to describe patient and family perspectives of quality of care for medical assistance in dying.

Methods

We conducted a multi-centre, qualitative descriptive study, including face to face or virtual one-hour interviews using a semi-structured guide. We interviewed 21 english-speaking patients found eligible for medical assistance in dying and 17 family members at four sites in Canada, between November 2017 and September 2019. Interviews were de-identified, and analyzed in an iterative process of thematic analysis.

Results

We identified 18 themes. Sixteen themes were related to a single step in the process of medica

SUBMITTER: Oczkowski SJW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8653618 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature