Rowe School of Business, Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
BMJ Open. 2019 May 1;9(4):e020369. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020369.
To examine how Canadian newspapers portrayed physicians' role and medical assistance in dying (MAiD).
Qualitative textual analysis.
Online and print articles from Canadian French and English newspapers.
813 newspaper articles published from 1972 to 2016.
Key Canadian events defined five eras. From 1972 to 1990, newspapers portrayed physician's MAiD role as a social issue by reporting supportive public opinion polls and revealing it was already occurring in secret. From 1991 to 1995, newspapers discussed legal aspects of physicians' MAiD role including Rodriguez' Supreme Court of Canada appeal and Federal government Bills. From 1996 to 2004, journalists discussed professional aspects of physicians' MAiD role and the growing split between palliative care and physicians who supported MAiD. They also reported on court cases against Canadian physicians, Dr Kevorkian and suffering patients who could not receive MAiD. From 2005 to 2013, newspapers described political aspects including the tabling of MAiD legislation to change physicians' role. Lastly, from 2014 to 2016, newspapers again portrayed legal aspects of physicians' role as the Supreme Court of Canada was anticipated to legalise MAiD and the Québec government passed its own legislation. Remarkably, newspapers kept attention to MAiD over 44 years before it became legal. Articles generally reflected Canadians' acceptance of MAiD and physicians were typically portrayed as opposing it, but not all did.
Newspaper portrayals of physicians' MAiD role discussed public opinion, politicians' activities and professional and legal aspects. Portrayals followed the issue-attention cycle through three of five stages: 1) preproblem, 2) alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm and 3) realising the cost of significant progress.
考察加拿大报纸如何描述医生在协助死亡（MAiD）中的角色和作用。
定性文本分析。
来自加拿大法语和英语报纸的在线和印刷文章。
1972 年至 2016 年间发表的 813 篇报纸文章。
关键的加拿大事件定义了五个时代。从 1972 年到 1990 年，报纸通过报道支持的民意调查和揭示它已经在秘密进行，将医生的 MAiD 角色描述为一个社会问题。从 1991 年到 1995 年，报纸讨论了医生 MAiD 角色的法律方面，包括罗德里格斯在加拿大最高法院的上诉和联邦政府法案。从 1996 年到 2004 年，记者讨论了医生 MAiD 角色的专业方面以及姑息治疗和支持 MAiD 的医生之间日益扩大的分歧。他们还报道了针对加拿大医生、凯沃尔吉安医生和无法接受 MAiD 的痛苦患者的法庭案件。从 2005 年到 2013 年，报纸描述了政治方面，包括提出改变医生角色的 MAiD 立法。最后，从 2014 年到 2016 年，报纸再次描述了医生角色的法律方面，因为预计加拿大最高法院将使 MAiD 合法化，而魁北克政府通过了自己的立法。值得注意的是，在 MAiD 合法化之前，报纸关注这个问题已经超过 44 年了。文章通常反映了加拿大人对 MAiD 的接受程度，医生通常被描绘为反对 MAiD，但并非所有人都这样认为。
报纸对医生 MAiD 角色的描述讨论了公众意见、政治家的活动以及专业和法律方面。描述遵循问题关注周期的三个阶段：1）问题前阶段，2）警觉发现和欣快热情阶段，3）意识到重大进展的代价阶段。
