Characteristics of decedents who received medical assistance in dying
| Characteristic | No. (%) of decedents n = 2241 |
|---|---|
| Type of suffering identified on assessment | |
| Physical | 2230 (99.5) |
| Psychologic | 2161 (96.4) |
| Prognostic estimate | |
| Not recorded | 1254 (56.0) |
| < 1 month | 392 (17.5) |
| 1–6 months | 491 (21.9) |
| > 6 months | 104 (4.6) |
| Preferred language* | |
| English or French | 1482 (90.9) |
| Other | 50 (3.1) |
| Unknown | 98 (6) |
| Communication difficulties (e.g., soft voice, dysarthria)* | 156 (9.6) |
| Profession of MAiD provider | |
| Physician | 2116 (94.4) |
| Nurse practitioner | 125 (5.6) |
| Specialty of MAiD provider | |
| General practice (with no other specialty indicated) | 1104 (49.3) |
| Palliative care (including nurse practitioners)† | 287 (12.8) |
| Anesthesiology | 285 (12.7) |
| Internal medicine and subspecialties | 180 (8.0) |
| Nurse practitioner (without further specialization) | 116 (5.2) |
| Medical or radiation oncology | 74 (3.3) |
| Emergency medicine† | 66 (2.9) |
| Intensive care† | 62 (2.8) |
| Surgical specialties/subspecialties | 42 (1.9) |
| Other | 25 (1.1) |
| At the time of request, the patient was receiving palliative care from a physician or nurse practitioner | 1667 (74.4) |
| Patient followed or assessed by palliative care at any point | 1731 (77.2) |
| Psychiatrist involvement in assessment of MAiD eligibility | 140 (6.2) |
| Patient previously known to MAiD provider/assessor | 814 (36.3) |
| Previous request for MAiD denied | |
| No | 2014 (89.9) |
| Yes | 97 (4.3) |
| Unknown | 130 (5.8) |
| 10-day reflection period shortened | 596 (26.6) |
| Family or care team reported difficulties accessing MAiD | 148 (6.6) |
Note: MAiD = medical assistance in dying.
↵* For the MAiD cohort, the initial 611 patients were removed from the analysis of this variable because these data were not recorded.
↵† In Canada, these fields have all been recognized as specialties or subspecialties by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, but not all providers in these fields have completed an accredited specialty training program. Many providers in these fields have completed nonaccredited training, or have developed a focused practice based on many years of clinical experience.