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Background: Legalization 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. Aim: The goal of this study is to understand the experience of family caregivers on the assisted dying procedure day. Design: Qualitative, thematic analysis, research using semi-structured interviews. Setting/participants: Family 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. Results: While 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. Conclusions: This 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its containment measures have drastically impacted end-of-life and grief experiences globally, including those related to medical assistance in dying (MAiD). No known qualitative studies to date have examined the MAiD experience during the pandemic. This qualitative study aimed to understand how the pandemic impacted the MAiD experience in hospital of persons requesting MAiD (patients) and their loved ones (caregivers) in Canada. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients who requested MAiD and their caregivers between April 2020 and May 2021. Participants were recruited during the first year of the pandemic from the University Health Network and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada. Patients and caregivers were interviewed about their experience following the MAiD request. Six months following patient death, bereaved caregivers were interviewed to explore their bereavement experience. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and de-identified. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Interviews were conducted with 7 patients (mean [SD] age, 73 [12] years; 5 [63%] women) and 23 caregivers (mean [SD] age, 59 [11] years; 14 [61%] women). Fourteen caregivers were interviewed at the time of MAiD request and 13 bereaved caregivers were interviewed post-MAiD. Four themes were generated with respect to the impact of COVID-19 and its containment measures on the MAiD experience in hospital: (1) accelerating the MAiD decision; (2) compromising family understanding and coping; (3) disrupting MAiD delivery; and (4) appreciating rule flexibility. Conclusions: Findings highlight the tension between respecting pandemic restrictions and prioritizing control over the dying circumstances central to MAiD, and the resulting impact on patient and family suffering. There is a need for healthcare institutions to recognize the relational dimensions of the MAiD experience, particularly in the isolating context of the pandemic. Findings may inform strategies to better support those requesting MAiD and their families during the pandemic and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Acute leukemia (AL) is associated with an immediate threat to life, an unpredictable clinical course, and substantial physical suffering. Traumatic stress symptoms that may meet criteria for acute stress disorder (ASD) may be common and disabling in this context, but have received little clinical attention. We investigated the incidence over time and risk factors for traumatic stress symptoms and ASD in the 3 months following diagnosis or relapse of AL.Methods: Individuals with AL were recruited at a tertiary cancer center in Canada within one month of diagnosis or relapse. Participants (N = 230) completed self-report measures, including the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire, at baseline and monthly over 3 months. The incidence of traumatic stress symptoms over time was examined, and a generalized logistic model was used to identify factors associated with ASD.Results: Participants were 60% male, with a mean age of 48.9 ± 15.2 years. Symptoms of ASD were identified on ≥1 assessment over the study period in 24.4% of participants at baseline and in an additional 12.6% at a subsequent follow-up. Of these, 55.3% reported symptoms on ≥2 assessments. ASD was associated with having young children, being unmarried, acute lymphocytic leukemia, and greater physical symptom burden. Persistent or recurrent ASD was associated with female sex, acute lymphocytic leukemia, greater attachment anxiety, less spiritual well-being, and less satisfactory patient-clinician communication.Conclusions: Symptoms of ASD are common and often persist or recur following diagnosis or relapse of AL. Research is urgently needed to determine the impact of interventions to prevent and treat psychological distress in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]