Table 2.
Characteristics of patients whose VAD experience was the subject of interviews (n = 28).
| Characteristic | Number |
|---|---|
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 70.8 (15.4) |
| 20–29 | 1 |
| 30–39 | 1 |
| 40–49 | 0 |
| 50–59 | 3 |
| 60–69 | 7 |
| 70–79 | 8 |
| 80–89 | 6 |
| 90–99 | 2 |
| Gender | |
| Female | 13 |
| Male | 15 |
| Location | |
| Metropolitan | 16 |
| Regionala | 12 |
| Highest level of education | |
| Some high school | 7 |
| High school | 9 |
| University—Diploma | 1 |
| University—Undergraduate | 7 |
| University—Postgraduate (including graduate diploma) | 4 |
| Primary disease, illness, or medical condition | |
| Cancer | 18 |
| Neurological | 9 |
| Other | 1 |
| Eligibility for VAD and death | |
| Assessed as eligible | 24 |
| Patient died via self‐administered medication | 19 |
| Patient died via practitioner administered medication | 3 |
| Patient died but did not take medication (natural death) | 1 |
| Patient waiting to take medication | 1 |
| Patient died before eligibility assessment completed | 3 |
| Patient assessed as ineligible and died | 1 |
| Timing of VAD (or engagement with process) | |
| July–December 2019 | 4 |
| January–June 2020 | 6 |
| July–December 2020 | 3 |
| January–June 2021 | 10 |
| July–November 2021 | 5 |
Abbreviation: VAD, voluntary assisted dying.
a
One patient classified as regional moved to a metropolitan area during the VAD process.