While many of us think we will never have to make tough decisions in health care, the time has come when hospitals (globally) are unable to provide adequate resources, adequate staffing, adequate supplies, and equipment for patients and health care workers. These problems have pushed health care ethics and law onto the front page of the newspaper and nightly news. Questions arise of ethical principles, practices, and values. Some say the medical community is best equipped to conduct this balancing act that medical resource allocation inevitably require. Some say we need government intervention. And, others continue to spread rumors about COVID 19, practicing wellness and staying home and undermine or minimize the value of social/physical distancing, self quarantine/isolation, and staying home.

Read the articles:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsb2005114

https://apnews.com/article/91120e7e4e88202a5dfbc00d9156e47e

1. Discuss who is included in the highest priority group to receive scarce resources (treatment) and why.
2. Why do the articles state age alone should not be a determining factor to receive scarce resources (treatment). Do you agree? Why or why not?
3. Discuss the best way for health care professionals to make the difficult decisions on who to treat first?
4. Discuss the best ways for health care personnel to talk to families about the decisions made (allocation of scarce resources) and why they were made.