Enhancing the Fairness of Pandemic Critical Care Triage

Abstract

Historically, the triage of temporarily scarce health resources has served narrow utilitarian ends. The recent H1N1 pandemic experience provided an opportunity for expanding the theoretical foundations/understandings of critical care triage in the context of declared infectious pandemics. This paper briefly explores the ethics-related challenges associated with the development of modern critical care triage protocols and provides descriptions of some 'enhanced fairness' features which were developed through the use of an inclusive deliberative engagement process by a Canadian provincial Department of Health.