Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) and the Neurosurgeon: Position Statement of the Canadian Neurosurgical Society (CNSS)

The preliminary opinion of Canadian spine surgeons on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID); a cross-sectional survey of Canadian Spine Society (CSS) members

“…Important highlights included enhancement of relationships physicians had with other MAID providers, strains on relationships with objecting colleagues, inadequate financial compensation and increased workload associated with providing MAID services [16] . These findings support the position of the CNSS outlined in the CNSS Position Paper , which urged the creation of a parallel and independent counseling and referral service for patients and their families, and clear delineation between the MAID team and the treating surgical team to mitigate any potential for treatment bias [7] .…”

“…[16] These findings support the position of the CNSS outlined in the CNSS Position Paper, which urged the creation of a parallel and independent counseling and referral service for patients and their families, and clear delineation between the MAID team and the treating surgical team to mitigate any potential for treatment bias. [7] The study at hand also demonstrates the need for ongoing discussions about effective and equitable delivery of MAID, in particular with respect to the cohort of patients and issues that have not been addressed with the current legislation, i.e. the grey areas.…”

“…These reverberations prompted the Canadian Neurosurgical Society (CNSS) to come forth with a position statement and has led to further research into what this means for surgeons practicing today in Canada. [7] With this study, we sought to examine the preliminary opinions of Canadian neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons regarding MAID, in hopes of better understanding the current landscape that exists within our field. Given the magnitude of this legislative change to the way medicine is practiced in Canada, studying the opinions of physicians close to patients requesting MAID will provide crucial information when reviewing the ongoing impact and changes due to the legislation, and for other countries looking to enact such legislation.…”

“…As expected, this landmark decision shifted the conversations healthcare providers can have with their patients and reverberated within the neurosurgical field. These reverberations prompted the Canadian Neurosurgical Society (CNSS) to come forth with a position statement and has led to further research into what this means for surgeons practicing today in Canada [7] . With this study, we sought to examine the preliminary opinions of Canadian neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons regarding MAID, in hopes of better understanding the current landscape that exists within our field.…”

Medical Assistance in Dying: What Does It Mean for Neurologists and Neurosurgeons?

“…In this issue of the CJNS , Barry et al 3 present a position statement on MAID from the Canadian Neurosurgical Society (CNSS). The authors are to be commended for taking a proactive stance on MAID, one that resulted from consultation with CNSS membership through a survey as well as the deliberations of a special CNSS subcommittee struck after the SCC’s Carter decision.…”