16th Sue MacRae Lecture on Ethics and Patient-Centred Care – Navigating Grief In The Context of MAiD: Ethical And Quality Considerations

The Sue MacRae Lecture on Ethics and Patient-Centred Care aims to explore the felt ethical experience of those who are sick or unwell, perhaps in their relationship to themselves, family members, caregivers, and/or systems of care. The goal is to understand how patient-centred or relationship-centred frameworks and best practices – inclusive of patient and/or family perspectives – can help illuminate and address common bioethical problems.

Full Title: Navigating Grief In The Context of MAiD: Ethical And Quality Considerations

Speaker:

Tekla Hendrickson
Executive Director MAiDHouse

Dr. Kristie Serota
PhD

Dr. Han Yan
MD, MSc

Nikki Gouzopoulos

Abstract

Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) is a medical procedure administered under strict legal and clinical guidelines in the Canadian healthcare system. In its first decade since legalization, MAiD has introduced new demands on the healthcare system and its providers, spurring unique challenges and innovation in end-of-life care. One aspect of MAiD that is receiving increased attention is the grief experiences of people seeking MAiD and their family members. Grief is an inevitable part of death and dying. While some aspects of MAiD grief share similarities to other end-of-life contexts and experiences, there are also unique qualities that are specific to the MAiD context. The four presenters on this panel have diverse yet complementary experiences with MAiD and will speak to the ethical and quality considerations in their work navigating grief in the MAiD context. Kristie Serota will present her findings as a social scientist researching MAiD bereavement, Han Yan will speak about her work providing patient-centred care to patients and their families as a MAiD assessor and provider, Nikki Gouzopoulos will share reflections on the lived experience of MAiD bereavement, and Tekla Hendrickson will describe her experiences engaging with those eligible for MAiD and their families as the Executive Director of MAiDHouse, a non-profit community-based organization. The panelists will discuss the practical implications of their experiences and work in the MAiD context, describe current challenges, innovative solutions, and recommendations for improving care for people seeking MAiD and their families.

Suggested Background Reading:

Mapping MAiD Discordance: A Qualitative Analysis of the Factors Complicating MAiD Bereavement in Canada – Kristie Serota, Daniel Z. Buchman, Michael Atkinson, 2024

Grief and bereavement of family and friends around medical assistance in dying: scoping review – PubMed

MAiD Eligibility Criteria

Additional Details:

The event is free and is open to the general public.

The direct link to the seminar will be sent out to registered participants 2 hours before the event. The JCB Bioethics Seminars are now being live-streamed to our YouTube channel. If you don’t receive the link 2 hours before the event, please head over there and click on the live stream. Subscribe to our channel to receive notices of upcoming events.