Public misunderstanding about medical aid in dying in the United States falls into two distinct categories – misinformation and uncertainty – and each is driven by different forces, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

Their study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that misinformation about legality of medical aid in dying – a voluntary medical practice for terminally ill adults often abbreviated as MAID – is primarily shaped by ideology, while uncertainty is linked to structural barriers such as education level and financial strain.