Harvey Chochinov

Chochinov is a leading expert in palliative care, with a focus on the dignity of patients, proper communication, and existential suffering. He developed dignity therapy, which is currently used by doctors worldwide as its benefits for patients at the end of life, relatives and health professionals have been proved.[5][6][7] Dignity therapy involves creating a narrative document with the dying patient that gives them the chance to reflect on their life experiences.[8]

He was a co-founder of the Canadian Virtual Hospice, which serves as a resource centre for anyone involved with palliative care.[9]

In 2015, Chochinov chaired the External Panel on Options for a Legislative Response to Carter v. Canada which informed eventual legislation on medically-assisted death. Chochinov is himself an opponent of medically-assisted death.[10][11]

Chochinov has received many prestigious recognitions for his work in psycho-oncology and palliative care, including being appointed an Officer in the Order of Canada,[9][12] an inductee in the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, Canadian Medical Association's Frederic Newton Gisborne Starr Award, for his contributions to palliative care, and Fellowships in the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.[13]

He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology and the Bernard Fox Award from the International Psycho-Oncology Society.[14][15]

He is the only psychiatrist to be awarded the FNG Starr Award, described as the Victoria Cross of Canadian medicine and the only psychiatrist to receive the O. Harold Warwick Prize, given for significant advances in cancer control.[16]

In April 2016, Chochinov was named the University of Manitoba's first research chair in palliative care medicine.[17]

Chochinov's research has specifically focused on palliative care and experiences associated with life-limiting cancer, including depression, hopelessness, prognostic awareness, suicidality, desire for death, will-to-live, sense of burden to others, quality of life, dependencey, spirituality and existential distress. He has also researched the patient-healthcare professional relationship, including elements of effective communication, issues related to equity, diversity and inclusiveness, and core efficiencies of dignity conserving care.[18][19][20]

His research on dignity has provided tangible and practical ways to operationalize considerations of dignity in patient care, including a means of measuring dignity related distress (The Patient Dignity Inventory, translated widely), effective ways of eliciting personhood in clinical practice and a novel narrative-based psychotherapy, coined 'Dignity Therapy.'[21] Dignity Therapy has been implemented in various cancer centres, hospices and palliative care programs around the world. There are also many publications and clinical trials on Dignity Therapy, which explore the merits of such an approach in mitigating distress and enhancing quality of life for patients with life-limiting illness.[22][23]

His book publications include: Dignity Therapy: Final Words for Final Days (Oxford University Press, 2012) [24] and Dignity in Care: The Human Side of Medicine (Oxford University Press, 2022).[25]

On October 27, 2016, Chochinov was announced one of the successful applicants to fill three Manitoba vacancies in the Senate of Canada.[26] A statement from the Office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted Trudeau intended to recommend the appointment of Chochinov and other selectees to Governor General David Johnston and that they would sit as independents. As of December 6, 2016, all new senators from that intake round other than Chochinov had been formally summoned to the Senate. On February 2, 2017, the Privy Council Office made public that Dr. Chochinov had advised the Prime Minister that he would not accept the appointment to the Senate, citing "personal, family and professional reasons."[4]