Shortly after the 2015 ruling of the Supreme Court of Canada to decriminalize medical assistance in dying (MAID), Caitlin O'Donnell started the Medical Assistance in Dying and Palliative Care Research Group. This group sought to understand the impact of the ruling on Palliative Care Physicians. In collaboration with the Canadian Medical Association, O’Donnell and her research team have been working to assess key aspects of the health care system's integration of MAID. Together with palliative care physician Dr. Joshua Shadd, O’Donnell will present the results of the group's research about what has been happening and what is to come.

Please join us for this complimentary public lecture, presented by St. Jerome's University's Department of Philosophy.

EVERYONE WELCOME!

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
 

CAITLIN O'DONNELL completed her undergraduate degree in Philosophy, with a focus on clinical ethics, at the University of King's College, and Dalhousie University. She obtained her Master of Bioethics and Health Law at the University of Otago (New Zealand). During her time in New Zealand, she taught Biomedical ethics to the medical students.

Upon returning to Canada, O'Donnell worked with the Ethics in Military Medical Ethics Research Group at McMaster and the University of Montreal. During this time she realized her passion for ethics in end-of-life care. She went on to work as a consultant for a Palliative Care physician, and as the Clinical Ethicist at Hospice Niagara.

Shortly after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled to decriminalize medical assistance in dying, she started the Medical Assistance in Dying and Palliative Care Research Group. This group sought to understand the impact of the ruling (and the impending legislation (Bill C-14)) on Palliative Care Physicians. This study led her to do her doctoral work at the University of Waterloo in the Applied Philosophy Program. Her main research interest is how to support Palliative Care physicians at a systems and policy level. This interest brought O'Donnell to the Canadian Medical Association to work alongside the medical professionalism and physician health team.

DR. JOSHUA SHADD completed medical school and a residency in family medicine at Queen’s University, then practiced family medicine in rural Manitoba and Ontario.  In 2004, he undertook a clinical fellowship in palliative medicine and his clinical practice has subsequently focused in this area.  Prior to coming to McMaster University in July 2015, he held academic appointments at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Queen’s University in Kingston, and Western University in London.  He now works as attending physician on the Palliative Care Clinical Teaching Unit at Hamilton Health Sciences St. Peter’s Hospital, and serves as Director of the Division of Palliative Care in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University.

His main research theme is primary palliative care – supporting the people who make it possible for patients to spend their final days at home.  Additional research projects address topics including referrals from family physicians to other specialists, neuropathic pain in primary care EMRs, and interprofessional team functioning in non-cancer palliative care.