“Among the rationing plans being discussed to respond to the strain the surge in coronavirus cases is expected to place on the capabilities of hospitals in some cases, the Pittsburgh Model Plan Regarding the Allocation of Scarce Critical Care Resources during a Public Health Emergency (1) is being given the most play. The Plan would prioritize patients for critical care by assessing both the likelihood the person would survive the virus if treated and whether the person has another condition that would seem to cause him to have a life expectancy of less than one year or less than five years even if he did survive the virus.
The Plan in justifying the use of the second measure states, “the allocation framework goes beyond simply attempting to maximize the number of patients who survive to hospital discharge, because this is a thin conception of doing the greatest good for the greatest number.” The Plan is venturing into places it need not go. Everyone knows how beleaguered the health care system is now and that exhausted and distraught health care workers at risk to themselves are doing their level best to save lives. Exactly who thinks the health care community should also be preoccupied about which folks are going to be here five years from now? That is rather utopian – and not in a good way – when so many people are trying to survive the moment…”
-Lisa Blumberg
Read more at Not Dead Yet…