Matters about life and death: A qualitative exploration of palliative care providers’ communication about medical assistance in dying

• Applicant: Dr. Pola Hahlweg
• Subject Area: Public Health, Healthcare Research, Social and Occupational Medicine
• Term: from 2022 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 518417182

Medical assistance in dying (MAID) is currently under legislative review in Germany and Massachusetts. Many stakeholders are involved in considerations about MAID. Palliative care providers (PCPs) are the healthcare providers most routinely communicating with patients about end-of-life care. However, health services research on communication about MAID is sparse. My proposed research project at the Harvard Medical School aims to explore PCPs’ perspectives on communication about MAID. The project will address the following research questions: 1) How do palliative care providers in Massachusetts communicate with their patients about MAID? 2) What do palliative care providers in Massachusetts need to adequately address patients’ inquiries about MAID? 3) What forms of patient-centered documentation such as open medical records or shared audio recordings could support communication about MAID in palliative care? To explore these questions, I plan to conduct a cross-sectional qualitative interview study over six months with PCPs in Massachusetts. Participants will be sought through snowballing technique via the host institution’s palliative care network. I plan to conduct 15 to 20 interviews with a duration of 30 to 45 minutes. Data will be analyzed using qualitative content analysis and disseminated through a peer-reviewed international journal article and presentations at team meetings and scientific conferences. Overall, the research project will provide an advanced understanding of the current state of communication about MAID in palliative care and identify implications for research, policy, and practice.

• DFG Programme: WBP Fellowship
• International Connection: USA
• Hosts: Professorin Dr. Catherine Des Roches; Dr. Kathleen Lee