How Should We Allocate Divisible Resources? An Overlooked Question

We present a case from the COVID-19 pandemic in which scarce resources were divided among patients rather than allocated to some patients over others. We assess how widely accepted allocation principles could be applied to this case, and we show how these principles provide insufficient guidance. We then propose alternatives that may help guide decision-making in such cases, and we evaluate the possibility of treating patients equally by dividing resources equally. Resource scarcity is not limited to pandemic situations, and many healthcare resources are divisible. This question-how to allocate these divisible resources-deserves greater attention from bioethics.PMID:38373335 | DOI:10.1086/728143
Source: Journal of Clinical Ethics - Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Source Type: research