Crisis Care / Altered Standards of Care

Changing the Standards of Medical Care in Emergencies

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Crisis Care / Altered Standards of Care

Which patients should get a share of limited resources? What does it mean to do the greatest good for the greatest number? Where is the line between appropriate comfort care and mercy killing? Should doctors and nurses be held accountable for their actions in the most desperate of circumstances, especially when their government fails them?

The New York Times has published an article which highlights the story of Dr. Pou and her colleagues during the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina. The arguments Dr. Pou makes about disaster preparedness deserve closer attention:

Read the New York Times Article: "Changing the Standards of Medical Care in Emergencies"

The Most Difficult Healthcare Decisions

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Crisis Care / Altered Standards of Care

By: Kenneth Iserson

MD, MBA, FACEP, FAAEM

Professor of Emergency Medicine

Director, Arizona Bioethics ProgramThe University of Arizona

The series " The Most Difficult Healthcare Decisions" was developed and presented by Dr. Iserson.

Crisis Standards of Care

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The Institute of Medicine’s Preparedness Forum released the Crisis Standards of Care workshop summary on November 17, 2009. The document provides a review of the issues that were discussed and identified at the regional meetings. It also highlights and expands upon many of the themes that were identified in the recent IOM letter report on

At this time, the workshop summary is available only as pre-publication copy; it has not been fully formatted for final publication. However, the content will not change and it is expected the final book will be published by early 2010.

Download the summary

The ESCAPE Project - Crisis Care Guidelines

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The ESCAPE Project’s Crisis Care Guidelines have been completed in draft form and comments are now being solicited. Comments are due by September 7th.

Download the guidelines and comment form

Ethical Considerations in Preparedness Planning for Pandemic Influenza

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Crisis Care / Altered Standards of Care

Download the presentation: "Stand on Guard for Thee"

Altered Standards of Care

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Starting in 2006, the American Nurses Association (ANA) embarked on a new effort to significantly engage registered nurses and the nursing profession in ANA’s policy development process on a timely policy issue impacting the profession.

ANA’s policy conference "Nursing Care in Life, Death and Disaster" and the resulting policy document, "Adapting Standards of Care under Extreme Conditions: Guidance for Professionals During Disasters, Pandemics, and Other Extreme Emergencies", are the first in a series of policy conferences convened by ANA to engage and involve the nursing public.

This resulting policy document speaks to individual health professionals who find themselves providing care during an extreme emergency when the usual resources – both human and material – may not be available. In these circumstances, health care providers may be presented with obstacles and challenges related to the standard of care that may be reasonably provided.