The Big Issues:Palliative Care Perspective

MONICA BRANIGAN, MD, MHSCCHAIR, CANADIAN SOCIETY OF PALLIATIVE CARE PHYSICIANS WORKING GROUP ON HASTENED DEATH

Top three issues1. Access to high quality palliative care #1 priority

2. Balancing patient access and physician conscience

3. Balance autonomy and harm reduction

Access to high quality palliative care

Access to palliative care The issue of true choice Physician hastened death is distinct from palliative care Equitable access to resources

My recommendations Right of access to palliative care National Palliative Care/End of Life Strategy Separate parallel provincial service with multiple access points to provide

◦ Information◦ Counselling◦ Referral/access to willing provider list◦ Initial monitoring and documentation

Balancing patient access and physician conscience

Effective referral or effective access?

Moral distress with duty to refer Alternatives:

◦ Duty to inform: ◦ separate parallel system◦ “patient advocate”◦ designated member of the institution

◦ Team duty rather than duty of individual MD

My recommendations Clear policy from Colleges about responsibilities of all health care providers with examples

Concept of effective access

Balancing autonomy with harm reduction

Potential harms and recommendations

Preventing possible premature death◦ Proportionate waiting times◦ Access to appropriate consultations◦ Education at all levels◦ Monitoring access to and quality of palliative care

Potential harm to palliative care◦ Separate, parallel service◦ Shared responsibility of the whole profession

Potential harm to families◦ Attempt to include◦ Provide grief counselling

Potential harm to other HCP◦ Need equal protection under the law

Consider graduated implementation◦ Start with physician hastened patient administered death◦ Then physician hastened physician administered◦ Then mental health suffering

CSPCP Submission to the Federal Panel

http://www.cspcp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/CSPCP-Federal-Panel-Submission-Oct-22-2015-FINAL.pdf