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Conscientious objection to MAID — MCCQE Part 1 MCQ

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HardEthics & ProfessionalismConscientious objection to MAIDMCCQE Part 1

An Ontario physician has a conscientious objection to assessing eligibility for medical assistance in dying. A capable patient requests information and access. The patient is not in an immediate medical emergency. Under current CPSO policy, what is the physician's professional obligation?

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Correct answer: B — Give accurate information and arrange timely access by effective referral

In Ontario, conscientious objection does not permit abandonment or obstruction. The physician must provide accurate, complete information relevant to the request and make a timely effective referral to a non-objecting, available, and accessible physician, other health professional, or agency. An effective referral is an affirmative linkage, not merely telling the patient to search alone. The physician should communicate respectfully and must not express moral judgment or create delay. The policy does not require an objecting physician personally to provide every non-emergency service, provided the effective-referral obligation is met. If an emergency arose and referral were not possible without delay that would endanger the patient, necessary emergency care could not be withheld because of the objection. Regulatory details vary across provinces and territories; this item deliberately tests the Ontario CPSO rule rather than asserting a single national standard.

Reference: College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Human Rights in the Provision of Health Services: https://www.cpso.on.ca/Physicians/Policies-Guidance/Policies/Human-Rights-in-the-Provision-of-Health-Services