End of Life

180 articles:
by Ferrukh Faruqui

Death ‘is not a medical process. It shouldn’t be made one’: Suicide pod stirs controversy among right-to-die proponents

Sarco, the world’s first suicide pod, is stirring up controversy amongst right-to-die proponents as an ongoing criminal case takes place.

by Brianna Jackson

Bouncing back together: How to build resilience among youth

By addressing structural determinants, we can create supportive environments where resilience is not a rare exception but a common experience among all youth.

by Karine Diedrich

Empowering choices: The importance of advance care planning

Advance care planning empowers individuals to have their health-care preferences honoured, offering peace of mind to both themselves and their loved ones. Yet, despite the importance of these conversations, many people delay or avoid them altogether.

by Dennis E. Curry

MAiD’s vanishing slippery slope

New data on MAiD sheds much needed light on a topic so broiled in hysteria and unforced errors to seem like some sort of deranged game of political and health-care tennis.

by Maddi Dellplain

New Year’s resolutions from health-care professionals: Advocate, avoid burnout and remember to love

At a time when the problems in Canadian health care can feel overwhelming and reaching our goals seems a daunting task, we wanted to know what health-care experts have on their personal resolutions list for 2025. 

by Ferrukh Faruqui

‘When you have severe disabilities, life isn’t over’: Expansion of MAiD raises concerns

As Bill C-7 expands MAiD's eligibility criteria, advocates for those with severe disabilities continue to fight against the pressures to accept an early death.

by Tania Kazi

Cutting for comfort: Understanding the role of palliative surgery

Would you or a loved one undergo surgery knowing that it would not lead to a cure? This question invites a broader discussion about the risks and benefits of such decisions.

by Ferrukh Faruqui

Quebec’s move to allow advance requests for MAiD ‘the worst news imaginable’

Quebec’s decision to forge ahead with advance requests for Medical Assistance in Dying could put the elderly and those with dementia at risk, critics say.

by Alexandre Veilleux

Essential exposure: The case for mandatory palliative care clinical rotations

Clinical exposure to palliative care is not afforded the attention it deserves in undergraduate medical curricula. To rob medical learners of such experiences is a travesty.

by Alexandra Campbell

Excuse me for living: MAiD, autonomy and feeling like a burden

With the option of MAiD squarely on the table for so many, is staying alive becoming a path that requires justification?

by Kathleen Finlay

It’s time to make compassion more relevant in our world

A generative compassion approach looks at the bigger picture and proactively asks the question: What more needs to be done to prevent more harm from occurring?

by Joss Reimer

Privilege. Blame. Allyship. Reflecting on reconciliation as a non-Indigenous physician

CMA president Joss Reimer writes, "As individuals, we may not be responsible for what happened in the past. But we are responsible for what happens in the future."

by Maddi Dellplain

Involuntary drug treatment: ‘Compassionate intervention’ or policy dead end?

Involuntary treatment for substance use is being proposed as a solution to the toxic drug supply crisis in provinces across the country. But do programs like this work?

by Kathleen Ross

Resident matching can’t start with CaRMS: Why we need a national plan for the health workforce

"Medical residents are a critical part of the health system. Together, we can plan for a future where they and their patients are set up for long-term success."

by Karine Diedrich

If not you, who will make your medical decisions?

Imagine finding yourself in a medical emergency, unconscious and unable to communicate. Who then becomes your voice in this complex web of health-care decisions?

by Monica Parry

Can we afford to keep ignoring the health of unpaid caregivers?

Unpaid caregivers must be a priority focus if we are to sustain the future of our healthcare system. We absolutely cannot afford to keep the health of unpaid caregivers in Canada invisible.

by Samantha Winemaker

Dr. AI & Me

AI is here to stay. But with its rapidly evolving nature, could it eventually replace real-life physicians?

by Helen Senderovich Keisa Mokenela

Palliative care as a true art form

When the foundation of communication begins to crumble, what will be the pillar health-care professionals can lean on to support patients afflicted with dementia during their final days?

by Maddi Dellplain

Resolutions and solutions: Health-care experts set goals for 2024

In a time of upheaval and undoubtedly significant professional strain, we wanted to know what health-care experts themselves had on their New Year’s resolution lists.

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