Reports from New Zealand on assisted dying (AD) indicate that over 70% of individuals who request AD are already receiving palliative care at the time of their application. Additionally, around 20% of applicants who proceed with AD are in an aged care facility, hospital, or hospice setting that provides end-of-life care. These findings show the importance of understanding how AD practice interacts with existing end-of-life care practices and how it is integrated within or rejected by them.
This presentation draws on qualitative data from interviews with 81 participants involved in the AD process, including AD providers, non-provider health professionals (including conscientious objectors), health service leaders, eligible and ineligible service users (with and without disabilities/impairments), and family members. The research discussed is the first large-scale study of the experiences of the assisted dying service in New Zealand. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we explored how AD is being implemented across diverse healthcare settings and what supports or hinders its integration.
Preliminary themes include organisational approaches to implementing AD (e.g., policy development, staff education, consultation, and managing diverse views), the relationship between AD and the broader health system, particularly palliative care, inequity of funding for palliative care, and the dynamics of collaboration between AD providers and other health professionals. Participants also identified elements they perceive as working well and shared insights into what an ideal AD service might look like. This presentation will highlight emerging practices that may inform a best practice model for AD integration.