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Medically Assisted Dying in the United States: An anthropological perspective

ETHICS ALERT!

Speaker: Dr. Mara Buchbinder, PhD

Dr. Buchbinder is a Professor of Social Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at UNC – Chapel Hill, as well as core faculty in the UNC Center for Bioethics. She is a medical anthropologist with broad interests in cultures of health, illness, and medicine in the United States. Her recent work focuses on how patients, families, and healthcare providers navigate social and ethical challenges resulting from changes in medical technology, law, and health policy. She brings an extraordinary depth of knowledge and compassion to our session today.

She is the author of "Scripting Death," a book on assisted dying that chronicles two years of ethnographic research documenting the implementation of Vermont’s Patient Choice and Control at End-of-Life Act. She weaves together stories collected from patients, caregivers, health care providers, activists, and legislators, to illustrate how they navigate medical aid-in-dying as a new medical frontier in the aftermath of legalization. Scripting Death explains how medical aid-in-dying works, what motivates people to pursue it, and ultimately, why upholding the “right to die” is very different from ensuring access to a life-ending procedure.

In this CMLearning Network presentation, Dr. Buchbinder bridges the gap between the academic understanding of assisted dying and the real-world scenarios faced by case managers.

Webinar Description:

Case managers are often the primary points of contact for clients navigating complex healthcare choices. This webinar equips them with essential knowledge about the ethical and legal aspects of medical aid in dying, ensuring they can provide informed guidance. It empowers case managers to uphold client autonomy and values by engaging in open and empathetic conversations about medical aid in dying. This client-centered approach is vital in ensuring that clients' end-of-life choices are respected. This webinar will aim to give case managers the tools and resources they need as they navigate this topic with sensitivity.

Learning Outcomes:

After this presentation, the successful participant will be able to:
  1. Understand the concept of medical aid in dying and its significance in eldercare.
  2. Analyze the factors that may lead an individual to consider medical aid in dying as an end-of-life option.
  3. Evaluate the available alternatives to medical aid in dying for ensuring a dignified and comfortable end-of-life experience for clients.
  4. Explore practical strategies for case managers to facilitate open and empathetic conversations about medical aid in dying with clients and their families.

Credit Information:

The Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC) is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

This program has been pre-approved by The Commission for Case Manager Certification to provide continuing education credit to CCM® board certified case managers. The course is approved for 1 CE contact hour(s). Activity code and Approval number will be awarded on your certificate of completion.

This program has been pre-approved by The Commission to provide continuing education credit to CDMS® board certified disability managers. The course is approved for 1 CE contact hour(s). Activity code and Approval number will be awarded on your certificate of completion.

To earn contact hours/CEs: The webinar is available for viewing at no cost. If you would like to receive contact hour(s)/CE for this webinar, click on the "Purchase" button below following the viewing to purchase the webinar and complete the evaluation. Once both the presentation and survey are marked as complete, you will receive your Certificate of Completion. If you are a CCM, your CEs will automatically record in your CCMC account.

Disclosures:

All planners and speakers have disclosed that they have no relevant financial relationships or conflicts of interest with commercial interests related directly or indirectly to this educational activity.

Commercial Support or Non-Commercial Sponsorship: There is no commercial support for this activity. The planners and faculty have no relevant relationships to disclose.

Expiration date: 1/17/2027