Hawaii’s Our Care Our Choice Act (OCOCA), which went into effect in January 2019, allows terminally ill, mentally competent, adult residents of the state to request medical aid in dying (MAID) to relieve unbearable suffering at the end of life. Licensed psychiatrists, psychologists and clinical social workers are authorized to conduct mental health consultations for MAID patients. Our presentation will begin with a brief review of the history and content of the law, focusing particularly on Hawaii’s unique mental health provisions. Dr. Goodyear will then discuss essential components of the mental health consultation and important elements of the reporting process. Case examples will be presented to illustrate the types of clinical issues that may be encountered in the evaluation of MAID patients. We will consider the question of whether a mandatory mental health evaluation is necessary for all MAID patients. Dr. Spira will present further insights about the evaluation process and additional case examples. Dr. Spira will also discuss existential issues that may arise in the continuum of end-of-life care. Jodi Shaw will then address the roles that social workers may play as patient navigators, members of the medical treatment team, and other roles that help to support patients and families in the MAID process and end-of-life care. Finally, Samantha Trad will present data to illustrate both national trends in MAID and utilization of OCOCA in Hawaii. Proposed improvements to OCOCA designed to better facilitate patient access will be addressed.
ObjectivesAttendees will be able to:
- Describe the provisions of Hawaii’s Our Care Our Choice Act.
- Describe the essential components of the mental health consultation.
- Describe the various roles that psychologists and social workers may play in the medical aid in dying process.
- Describe national trends in medical aid in dying and proposed changes to the Our Care, Our Choice Act.
The evaluation/CE request form for this program can be found
HERE.
