What We Heard Report
A Public Consultation on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)

March 2020

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Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
    1. Background
    2. How MAID developed in Canada
    3. Background and purpose of the consultations
  2. Results from the Online Survey
    1. Demographics
      1. Province or territory
      2. Urban or rural
      3. Language of submission
    2. Eligibility for medical assistance in dying
    3. Safeguards to protect against misuse or abuse of MAID
    4. Advance requests for MAID
    5. Additional comments
    6. Summary of comments
      1. Theme 1 – Safeguards
      2. Theme 2 – MAID through advance requests
      3. Theme 3 – The right to die
      4. Theme 4 – Concerns about expanding the eligibility for MAID
      5. Theme 5 – Opposition to MAID
      6. Theme 6 – Personal experiences
      7. Theme 7 – The role of the family, caregivers and loved ones
      8. Theme 8 – Specific concerns about MAID
  3. Perspectives from the Roundtables
    1. Eligibility conditions
      1. Legal clarity
      2. Access to practitioners who will provide MAID
      3. Scope of eligibility
    2. Safeguards
      1. Existing safeguards
      2. Possible new safeguards
    3. Waiver of final consent and advance requests
    4. Miscellaneous
      1. Access to alternative treatments, supports and services
      2. Oversight