Educational needs of healthcare professionals and members of the general public in Alberta Canada, 2years after the implementation of medical assistance in dying.

Abstract

Medical assistance in dying (MAID) was implemented across Canada in June of 2016, after each Canadian province and territory had developed their own MAID processes. Over the first 2years, just under 300 Alberta citizens received MAID services, a very small proportion (<0.5%) of all 52,000 decedents. An online 2017-2018 survey of Alberta healthcare providers and members of the general public was conducted to assess and compare their knowledge of MAID. A devised brief survey tool was posted online, with broad-based advertising for voluntary participants. The survey was taken down after 282 Albertans had participated (100+ healthcare professionals and 100+ members of the general public), a non-representative sample. Through SPSS data analysis, educational needs were clearly evident as only 30.5% knew the correct approximate number of MAID deaths to date, 33.0% correctly identified the point in life when MAID can be done, 48.9% correctly identified the locations where MAID can be performed, 49.3% correctly identified who can stop MAID from being carried out, and 52.8% correctly identified how MAID is performed to end life. Healthcare professionals were significantly more often correct; as were participants born in Canada, university degree holders, working persons, those who identified a religion, had experience with death and dying care, had direct prior experience with death hastening, thought adults had a right to request and receive MAID, had past experience with animal euthanasia, and had hospice/palliative education or work experience. Age, gender, and having previously worked or lived in a country where assisted suicide or euthanasia was performed were not significant for educational needs. These findings indicate new approaches to meet sudden assisted suicide educational needs are needed.