Funder
This project is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and will take place from 2024 to 2028
Project Overview
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) started in Canada in 2016 and was permitted only for people who were close to death. In 2021 the law changed and now allows people with serious and incurable illness, disease, or disability, whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable, to request assessment for MAiD under Track 2. This expansion of MAiD is called Track 2.
The purpose of this study is to describe the longitudinal experiences and clinical care of people who apply for MAiD under Track 2 from multiple perspectives with the goal of informing policy and clinical care in the Canadian context.
During the course of the project we will conduct interviews with individuals who represent varied roles in Track 2 MAiD care across Canada. We will interview:
- Applicants for Track 2 MAiD
- Family members of applicants (where permitted by an applicant participating in the study)
- Bereaved family members of people who have received MAiD under Track 2
- Health care professionals (MAiD Program Coordinators, Assessors, Providers) and
- Key informants – people involved in policy, legislation, oversight, research, applicant-family support, or other leadership roles related to Track 2 MAiD
We will integrate evidence across the experiences of the participants to inform policy and practice in the Canadian context.
How You Can Participate
At this time, we are enrolling health care professionals and key informants. For more information about this project, please contact us by email: maid.research@ubc.ca
Investigator Team
Principal Investigators
Barbara Pesut, RN, Ph.D., University of British Columbia Okanagan
Sally Thorne, RN, Ph.D., DSc (Hon), FAAN, FCAHS, FCAN, CM, University of British Columbia Vancouver
Co-Investigators
Janine Brown, RN, Ph.D., CCNE, University of Regina
Kenneth Chambaere, Ph.D., Ghent University (Belgium)
Erin Donald, Ph.D., Huron Hospice
Margaret Hall, LLB, LLM, Ph.D., Simon Fraser University
Mark Lachmann, MD, Sinai Health System (Toronto)
Michael McKenzie, MD FRCPC, BC Cancer Agency
Laurel Plewes, MSN, Vancouver Coastal Health
Catharine Schiller, MSc, JD, Ph.D., University of Northern British Columbia
Helen Sharp, Ph.D., University of British Columbia Okanagan
Kelli Stajduhar, RN, Ph.D., FCAHS, FCAN, University of Victoria (BC)
Lilian Thorpe, MSc, MD, Ph.D., University of Saskatchewan
Caroline Variath, RN, Ph.D., Vancouver Island University
Glendon Wiebe, Ph.D., University of British Columbia Okanagan
David Wright, Ph.D., University of Ottawa
Collaborators
Laurie Brad-Richards, Saskatchewan Health Authority
Julie Campbell, NP, Ontario
Laura Cavicchi, MSW, Pain BC, British Columbia
Razvan Diacu, MSc, Ministry of Health, British Columbia
Julia Gill Lakhani, JD (Can), JD (US), MHSc (Bioethics), Vancouver Coastal Health, British Columbia
Melanie McDonald, MSW, Pain BC, British Columbia
Aaron McKim, MD, Eastern Health, Newfoundland
James McLean, MD, Ontario
Zachary Mokosak, MHA, Ministry of Health, British Columbia
Bregjie Philipsen, Prof, Dr., Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Netherlands
Elizabeth Rathbun, British Columbia
William David Robertson, MA, MD, FRCPC, Island Health Authority, British Columbia
Lori Verigin, NP, Interior Health Authority, British Columbia
Alice Virani, MA, MS, MPH, Ph.D., Provincial Health Services Authority, British Columbia