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Existing studies of policy diffusion rely on quantitative or qualitative methods depending on the number of cases and the policy at hand. Studies of diffusion in Canada, for instance, almost exclusively use qualitative techniques due to the limited number of subnational units. In this article, we explore whether machine learning techniques can complement qualitative approaches in these contexts. In 2015, the Canadian federal government decided to impose the legalization of cannabis and gave the provinces and territories a short time frame to develop and implement legislation. Previous qualitative research on this case found that within-province policy development was more salient than interprovincial diffusion. Using a plagiarism detection software, we find limited evidence of exact matches between provincial legislation, but a cosine score approach reveals significant similarities across provinces. These results suggest that computational and qualitative techniques together should be used where possible to identify and analyze policy diffusion in certain contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physician-assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia are two procedures of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) that are readily requested by patients internationally. In April 2016, the legalization of these procedures occurred in Canada after the pursuit of many jurisdictional cases. Known as Bill C-14, this legislation aims to balance patient autonomy at end-of-life with revised standardizations for medical and healthcare professionals. Music therapists may be included in the medical and healthcare team that can be recommended by patients considering MAiD. At present, there are no written guidelines that empirically outline the role of music therapists in this area. This paper explores the global history of MAiD as well as MAiD in the Canadian healthcare system and its implications. Information on the legislation Bill C-14 will be explained, along with a discussion on the current practices of music therapy at end-of-life and the potential scope of a music therapist during the MAiD procedure. Ethical issues and future research are also presented as recommendations to healthcare and music therapy professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canadians are looking to expand their Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program to include mature minors. Yet, little evidence exists to support this expansion. The Council of Canadian Academies released a report in December 2018 indicating that little is known about how mature minors make meaning of end of life care. To address this knowledge gap, research is needed to understand how mature minors make meaning of the dying process in the first place. Since social perceptions drive Canadian health care, practice, and end of life mentalities, the question that needs to be asked is: What is the Canadian perception of a good death for mature minors? To answer this question it is first necessary to examine the meaning that death and dying hold for mature minors, as voiced by mature minors themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Supreme Court decision in Carter v. Canada (2015) has led to changes to the Canadian Criminal Code, such that physician-assisted death is now a legal option for consenting adult patients who have a 'grievous and irremediable medical condition' that causes 'enduring' and 'intolerable' suffering. In June 2016, Bill C-14 was enacted, allowing medical assistance in dying (MAID) for an eligible adult whose death is 'reasonably foreseeable'. An independent report on the status of 'mature minors' (who are currently excluded under federal legislation), with focus on their potential eligibility for MAID, was required by the 2016 Act and is expected to be presented to Parliament by December 2018. Ensuring that newborns, children and youth receive the highest possible standard of care as they are dying is a privilege and a responsibility for physicians and allied professionals. Bringing a thoughtful, respectful and personal approach to every end-of-life situation is an essential and evolving duty of care, and the process should meet each patient's (and family's) unique social, cultural and spiritual needs. This statement describes the current Canadian legal and medical context of MAID and articulates a paediatric perspective that has emerged from-and been informed by-the broad, structured consultation process unfolding in Canada and elsewhere. Although 'mature minors' are the only youth currently mandated for further legislative consideration in Canada, the need to examine requests for and attitudes around MAID for minors of all ages remains compelling for two main reasons: • Canadian health care professionals are increasingly being approached by the parents of 'never-competent' infants and children, including those too young to make a reasoned decision, and by youth themselves, to discuss MAID-related issues. Results from a Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP) survey, discussed below, indicate that parents raise such questions with paediatricians more often than do minors. • The discussion of MAID policy in Canada has been framed as much by the issue and context of suffering as by considerations of autonomy. While current legislation clearly prohibits MAID for incapable persons at the request of any other person, it is possible that parents may request MAID on behalf of their dying child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines an approach to legalising assisted dying proposed in France. The use of human rights documents to legalise assisted dying in the U.S., Canada and Great Britain is discussed. The duty-based approach to legalising euthanasia in the Netherlands is tackled. The Comité Consultatif National d'Éthique (CCNE) in France proposed to allow euthanasia based on compassion and human solidarity, the strengths and weaknesses of this approach are explored.

Significant changes are occurring in Canada's health care system regarding physician-hastened death (PHD). In the Netherlands, where the Groningen Protocol is in place, euthanasia in now legal for infants and children. The present article considers whether PHD should be applied to young children in Canada and how these paediatric cases differ from adult cases. The discussion analyzes and critiques the underlying assumptions necessary to believe that PHD is good. The role of worldviews in the deliberation of any moral question and the importance of recognizing personal bias are highlighted. The authors present common issues regarding PHD, including suffering, parental autonomy and future quality of life, and examine the basic assumptions on which these arguments are made. Finally, they conclude that the assumptions required are incorrect and that PHD should not be allowed in the case of children. Instead, policies should continue to strive for the protection and promotion of health in all children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]