Medical Assistance in Dying committee  I will once again make the analogy with a physical illness. Contrary to what other have stated, since MAID has been authorized in our country, palliative care, which consists of treatment and support, has probably been offered more frequently, rather than the opposite. When we a

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  At the risk of repeating myself, we do not assess people when they are in crisis. At the ER, I have seen numerous patients who have reached a crisis point. Those patients who are going through an acute phase would not become eligible. I will now put on my hat as a MAID provider

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Thank you for the question. My experience in the field has allowed me to assess patients suffering from physical illnesses and their eligibility for MAID under the current law. I have also assessed patients who, despite the fact that they mainly suffered from a physical illness

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Yes, indeed. The psychiatrist providing MAID must establish that the person has been suffering from a serious disorder over a long period of time which is chronic, and which does not respond to treatment. Often in reports, the period of time indicated is expressed in decades. It

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Is the question for Dr. Dembo or myself?

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  As has been stated innumerable times, these patients have already been assessed by at least one if not more psychiatrists. We can therefore presume that the patients eligible for MAID are suffering from a grievous illness. I would remind you that these are grievous and incurable

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  As my colleague said, the framework for physical illness provided for in the act sets out strict eligibility criteria. When a patient is considered eligible, that means that the criteria have been applied carefully. You have to understand that we are not taking here about a neig

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  You have to avoid creating too many barriers that would make accessing MAID more difficult and that would add nothing to the quality and the thoroughness of the assessment.

Medical Assistance in Dying committee  Thank you so much. I would like to start out by thanking the committee for inviting me to give testimony for your important study. I have practised and taught emergency medicine for over 30 years in a teaching hospital that had a psychiatric ER unit. I am also a clinician-scien