During a COVID-19 Surge, ‘Crisis Standard of Care’ Involve Excruciating Choices and Impossible Ethical Decisions for Hospital Staff

January 5, 2022

(Discover) – The care provided under such extreme levels of resource shortages is called “crisis standards of care.” Crisis standards can impact the use of any type of resource that is in extremely short supply, from staff (like nurses or respiratory therapists) to stuff (like ventilators or N95 masks) to space (like ICU beds). And because the care we can provide during crisis standards is much lower than normal quality for some patients, the process is supposed to be fully transparent and formally allowed by the state. (Read More)