No Protocol and No Liability: a Call for COVID Crisis Guidelines That Protect Vulnerable Populations

Overview

Journal J Comp Eff Res

Specialty Health Services

Date 2020 Jul 25

PMID 32705880

Citations 4

Authors

Chiara Caraccio

Robert S White

Rohan Jotwani

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is revealing the unacceptable health disparities across New York City and in this country. The mortality rates of vulnerable and minority populations alone suggest a need to re-evaluate clinical decision making protocols, especially given the recently passed Emergency or Disaster Treatment Protection Act, which grants healthcare institutions full immunity from liability stemming from resource allocation/triage decisions. Here we examine the disparity literature against resource allocation guidelines, contending that these guidelines may propagate allocation of resources along ableist, ageist and racial biases. Finally, we make the claim that the state must successfully develop ones that ensure the just treatment of our most vulnerable.

Citing Articles

Estimating population impact of state triage policies restricting healthcare access for older adults with chronic conditions.

Nguyen N, Riggan K, Ennis J, Tilburt J, Smith A, Kramer D J Am Geriatr Soc. 2023; 72(1):294-296.

PMID: 37694828 PMC: 10872914. DOI: 10.1111/jgs.18589.

The potential impact of triage protocols on racial disparities in clinical outcomes among COVID-positive patients in a large academic healthcare system.

Roy S, Showstark M, Tolchin B, Kashyap N, Bonito J, Salazar M PLoS One. 2021; 16(9):e0256763.

PMID: 34529684 PMC: 8445412. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256763.

The Treatment of Disability under Crisis Standards of Care: An Empirical and Normative Analysis of Change over Time during COVID-19.

Neeman A, Stein M, Berger Z, Dorfman D J Health Polit Policy Law. 2021; 46(5):831-860.

PMID: 33769474 PMC: 8957387. DOI: 10.1215/03616878-9156005.

Assessment of Disparities Associated With a Crisis Standards of Care Resource Allocation Algorithm for Patients in 2 US Hospitals During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Gershengorn H, Holt G, Rezk A, Delgado S, Shah N, Arora A JAMA Netw Open. 2021; 4(3):e214149.

PMID: 33739434 PMC: 7980099. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.4149.

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