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The crisis standard of care: Considerations for risk management
Author(s) -
West John C.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of healthcare risk management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.221
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 2040-0861
pISSN - 1074-4797
DOI - 10.1002/jhrm.21441
Subject(s) - business , scarcity , rationing , health care , liability , standard of care , medical emergency , actuarial science , medicine , finance , economics , economic growth , surgery , microeconomics
Many writers and organizations have postulated that health care facilities and providers may need to implement a “crisis standard of care” to deal with the exigent circumstances associated with the massive influx of patients infected with the novel coronavirus and suffering from COVID‐19. There is a relative scarcity of critical resources, such as intensive care unit beds, emergency department beds, ventilators, personal protective equipment, and medications. Facilities can become overwhelmed. A crisis standard of care can act as a guidepost for rationing supplies and care, should that become necessary. However, that is not without danger. Health care facilities and providers should plan carefully and then act with due deliberation in implementing a crisis standard of care to mitigate or prevent future liability.