Rationing With Respect to Age During a Pandemic: A Comparative Analysis of State Pandemic Preparedness Plans.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Faced with possible shortages due to COVID-19, many states updated or rapidly developed crisis standards of care (CSCs) and other pandemic preparedness plans (PPPs) for rationing resources, particularly ventilators.

Research question

How have US states incorporated the controversial standard of rationing by age and/or life-years into their pandemic preparedness plans?

Study design and methods

This was an investigator-initiated, textual analysis conducted from April to June 2020, querying online resources and in-state contacts to identify PPPs published by each of the 50 states and for Washington, DC. Analysis included the most recent versions of CSC documents and official state PPPs containing triage guidance as of June 2020. Plans were categorized as ratio

SUBMITTER: Scire E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8423769 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature