A Conceptual Analysis of Canadian Palliative Care Ethics

Introduction: In the palliative care literature there has been debate over the occurrence and the desirability of the rationalization of palliative care. The discussion is based mostly on opinion, anecdote and argument. Little discussion is based on research, or is specific to Canada. Considering this question of rationalization, this thesis asks whether Canadian palliative care ethics has changed, and if so in what regard. Methods: Discourse analysis was used to evaluate texts and interviews from early and late Canadian palliative care. Based on expression, influence and comprehensiveness, two key texts were identified from each of the early and late periods of palliative care. Ten interviews were conducted with Canadian palliative care pioneers practicing across these periods. These interviews were semi-structured, and were based on the background literature and the textual analysis. Results: Analysis of the textual data led to the descriptive themes of person, profession and well-being. These themes, when compared across the early and late periods, generated three themes of process. Analysis of the interview data generated three similar themes of process. The themes of process from the textual and interview data were similar enough to generate three overall themes of process – routinization, medicalization, and professionalization.

Department dc:contributor.department

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Cellarius, Victor

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Upshur, Ross
• Robertson, Ann

• palliative care
• ethics
• medical sociology

Language dc:language.iso

en_ca

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1807/43513

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utoronto.scholaris.ca:1807/43513