Data Center

Data on Attended Deaths

Data on the presence of an aid-in-dying clinician on the aid-in-dying day (MD, PA, NP, nurse, social worker, hospice chaplain, trained volunteer, aid-in-dying experienced end-of-life doula).

StateAttendanceNotesSource
Oregon83% Clinician attended
17% No clinician present
State Health Department Reports
Washington>72%15% of Washington cases have absent data on attendance, some are assumed to have been attended, thus “>” in the 72% attendedEnd of Life Washington and State Health Department Reports
California41% attended
8% not attended
51% not reported
Assuming that at least some of the “not reported” were attended, the percentage attended is likely to be >50%Department of Public Health Report
New Mexico97% of deaths reported to End of Life Options New Mexico were attended by the prescribing physician.New Mexico’s Department of Health does not collect data about aid-in-dying death attendance.
Academy data90% clinician attended
10% not attended
Multiple states, >400 reports. 66% attended by MD, RN, NP, PA, hospice chaplain.
24% attended by trained volunteer or end-of-life doula.
Death Reports
District of Columbian/aDC Health does not collect data on attended deaths.
Coloradon/aColorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment does not collect any data about attended deaths, nor does any organization in the state.
Vermontn/aVermont’s Department of Public Health does not collect any data about attended deaths, nor does any organization in the state.
Montanan/aMontana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services does not collect data on medical aid in dying.
New Jerseyn/aNew Jersey’s Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner provides an annual aid-in-dying report. It does not include information about attended or unattended deaths.
Mainen/aMaine’s Department of Health and Human Services does not collect data about attended deaths, nor does any organization in the state.
Anecdotal reports from leading Maine aid-in-dying clinicians estimates that 2/3 of deaths are attended.
Hawaiin/aHawaii’s State Department of Health does not collect data about attended deaths.
A leading Hawaii aid-in-dying clinician states: “To the best of knowledge virtually every death in Hawaii in the last two years has been attended by Hospice personnel — either nurse or MD.”

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