In September 2006, The Providence Center for Health Care Ethics and The Hastings Center convened a meeting of public health officials, experts on public health and clinical ethics, and clinicians. The group discussed the challenges of building pandemic plans on an ethically sound framework, and subsequently developed a backgrounder to highlight ethical issues and suggestions.
The backgrounder provides a matrix (developed in Oregon) that can be used as a framework for integrating ethical principles into decision-making during a pandemic. The matrix lists three key values that are likely to be most at risk during a pandemic: 1) Social solidarity; 2) Professional standards; and 3) Justice. The matrix also lists the characteristics of these values and applicable ethical principles that can be used when applying the values during a public health crisis.
The backgrounder also offers case studies on key issues (e.g., vaccine allocation, access to healthcare, access to ventilators, protection of vulnerable healthcare workers, and overall decision-making) from the perspectives of five different types of people who represent various aspects of society involved in pandemic response. The backgrounder is noteworthy in that it provides a unique framework and valuable insights for public health officials and healthcare providers who will be faced with making difficult decisions around resource allocation during a pandemic
