DOH releases 2023 Our Care, Our Choice Annual Report

DOH releases 2023 Our Care, Our Choice Annual Report 
State of Hawaii, Department of Health, Honolulu, HI; 7/8/24 
More patients utilized the Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) program last year than in 2022, according to the 2023 Our Care, Our Choice Act (OCOCA) Annual Report, prepared by the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) Office of Planning, Policy and Program Development, July 1, 2024. Last year, 91 patients received aid-in-dying prescriptions, which is 31 more than the 2022 total. The Office of Planning, Policy and Program Development said that this is also in line with national data trends and may be due to the increased accessibility that took effect June 1, 2023. The annual report provides statistics for the OCOCA, which was enacted January 1, 2019. The act allows eligible individuals with terminal illnesses to request medicine that will help them control when and how they choose to die. Amendments to the OCOCA went into effect on June 1, 2023, resulting in the following changes: [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]