Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38720655›Full record

ArticlePalliative medicine2024

"Walk me through the final day": A thematic analysis study on the family caregiver experience of the Medical Assistance in Dying procedure day.

Rinat Nissim, Paige Chu, Alison Stere, Eryn Tong, Ekaterina An, Debbie Selby, Sally Bean, Elie Isenberg-Grzeda, Gary Rodin, Madeline Li and 1 more

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Article in Palliative medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Rinat NissimDepartment of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-3624-5806
Paige ChuDepartment of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Alison StereDepartment of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Eryn TongDepartment of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Ekaterina AnDepartment of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Debbie SelbyDepartment of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sally BeanSunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Elie Isenberg-GrzedaDepartment of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Gary RodinDepartment of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Madeline LiDepartment of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sarah HalesDepartment of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLegalization of assisted dying is progressively expanding worldwide. In Canada, the Medical Assistance in Dying Act became law in 2016. As assisted dying regulations evolve worldwide, comprehending its subjective impact and broader consequences, especially on family members, becomes pivotal for shaping practice, policy, and training.

aimThe goal of this study is to understand the experience of family caregivers on the assisted dying procedure day.

designQualitative, thematic analysis, research using semi-structured interviews. SETTING/

participantsFamily caregivers of patients who received assisted dying in two hospitals in Canada were recruited. Interviews were conducted at least 6 months after patient death. Conceptual saturation was achieved after analyzing 18 interviews.

resultsWhile caregivers expressed gratitude for the availability of Medical Assistance in Dying, they also described the procedure day as potentially jarring and unsettling. We identified five aspects that shaped their experience: attuned support from the clinical team; preparation for clinical details; congruence between the setting and the importance of the event; active participation and ceremony; and pacing and timing of the procedure. Together, these aspects impacted the level of uneasiness felt by caregivers on the procedure day.

conclusionsThis study emphasized the importance of a family-centered approach to delivering Medical Assistance in Dying. It underscored recognizing the needs of family caregivers during the procedure day and offering strategies to ease their experience. Healthcare providers in jurisdictions where assisted dying is legal or deliberated should consider the applicability of these findings to their unique context.

Indexed as

CaregiversQualitative ResearchSuicide, AssistedAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCanadaFamilyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedTerminal Careassisted dyingcaregiverfamilyMedical Assistance in Dyingqualitative research

Identifiers

PMID38720655
PMCPMC11158002

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LicenceCC BY
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.