Presenter: Elissa Kozlov, PhD
Date: March 20th, 12PM-1:30PM CT
Description:
This talk synthesizes national data on medical aid in dying (MAID) in the United States, including patterns of utilization since legalization, state-level variation in legal frameworks and uptake, and the role of organizational policies in shaping real-world access. It presents new evidence on public awareness, preferences, and widespread misinformation about MAID legality, highlighting sociodemographic and structural factors associated with misunderstanding and uncertainty. The talk concludes by examining clinical and policy implications for providers, especially mental health providers, including their roles in capacity assessment, evaluation of psychological suffering, mitigation of undue influence, and promoting equitable and ethically grounded implementation of MAID in newly legal states.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe national patterns of MAID utilization in the U.S.
- Identify key gaps and patterns in public awareness and misinformation about MAID legality, including which groups are most likely to hold incorrect beliefs and why.
- Apply empirical findings to clinical and policy contexts by articulating implications for equitable access and evidence-informed implementation of MAID.
