Funder
This project is funded through an Interior University Research Coalition Seed Grant from the British Columbia Ministry of Health (2024-2025)
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 conduct preliminary research to describe the clinical care of people who apply for Medical Assistance in Dying under Track 2 with the goal of informing policy and clinical care in British Columbia. This project will inform a larger study being conducted across Canada [link to CIHR project page].
During the course of this project, we will conduct interviews with individuals who represent varied roles in Track 2 MAiD including health care professionals (MAiD assessors, providers, clinical program administrators, directors, and coordinators) and people with lived experience of serious and incurable health conditions.
This project will inform policy and practice in BC and a planned Canada-wide study “Toward Effective Policy and Clinical Care in the Context of Track 2 MAiD in Canada” funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
How You Can Participate
This project is now closed to new participant enrollment. We may have other projects of interest. For more information about this project, please contact us: 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
Catharine Schiller, RN, JD, Ph.D., University of Northern British Columbia
Margaret Hall, LLB, LLM, Ph.D., Simon Fraser University & Thompson Rivers University
Co-Investigators and Collaborators
Michael McKenzie, MD FRCPC, BC Cancer
Laurel Plewes, RN, MSN, Vancouver Coastal Health
David Robertson, MD FRCPC, Island Health
Helen Sharp, Ph.D., University of British Columbia Okanagan
Emma Tetrault, BSN, RN, Graduate Student, University of British Columbia Okanagan
Caroline Variath, RN, Ph.D., Vancouver Island University
Glendon Wiebe, Ph.D., University of British Columbia Okanagan