Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41909282›Full record

ReviewCureus2026

Medical Aid in Dying: A Narrative Review of the Recent Academic Literature in the United States.

Holland Kaplan, Soraira Pacheco, Keziah M Thomas, Christopher L Ulmschneider, Anjiya Sulaiman, Chandni Lotwala, Derek Dawes, Issa A Hanna, Courtney Nguyen, Caroline G Snider and 1 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Cureus, 2026. 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
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Holland KaplanPalliative Care, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA.
Soraira PachecoGeriatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA.
Keziah M ThomasGeriatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA.
Christopher L UlmschneiderGeriatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA.
Anjiya SulaimanPalliative Care, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA.
Chandni LotwalaGeriatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA.
Derek DawesInternal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA.
Issa A HannaDentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA.
Courtney NguyenInternal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA.
Caroline G SniderPalliative Care, Rice University, Houston, USA.
Gabriel M AisenbergInternal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Medical aid in dying (MAiD) is a practice in which a healthcare professional provides assistance to a terminally ill patient seeking to end their life. To assess how academic discourse may shape public opinion and policy in the United States, we conducted a narrative review of the literature published between 2020 and 2024. Articles were categorized as supportive, opposing, or neutral, and patterns were examined across authorship, disciplinary focus, and target populations. Our findings reveal that most recent publications adopt supportive or neutral stances toward MAiD, with a slight increase in opposition beginning in 2022. Authorship discipline strongly influenced position, with legal journals disproportionately supportive and religious journals more frequently opposed. Arguments favoring MAiD emphasized autonomy and relief of suffering, whereas opposing articles highlighted risks to vulnerable populations and potential harm. Academic literature contributes significantly to shaping the national conversation around MAiD and may influence evolving societal attitudes and policy development regarding end-of-life options.

Indexed as

active and passive euthanasiaend-of-life ethicsmaidmedical-aid-in-dyingmedical-assistance-in-dying

Identifiers

PMID41909282
PMCPMC13021265

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.