What Would be the Rational and Logical Process to Managing and Providing Health Care Delivery System on a Moral and Fair Basis, Considering that Resources are Limited?
Keywords:
Resource AllocationAbstract
Is it morally acceptable for a publicly funded healthcare system to purchase non-life prolonging treatments (for instance, Viagra), whilst simultaneously limiting access to potentially life-prolonging treatments (for instance, Beta Interferon)? This begs for one of the most pressing contemporary questions in the healthcare, which is how do we distribute resources fairly? Questions such as who should be treated and how priorities should be set raise fundamental ethical dilemmas that have long been at the centre of healthcare around the world. Now that 'rationing' is more visible, or at least more openly debated, than in the past, the ways in which decisions are made are in the healthcare about treatment and management of illnesses are more likely to be contested and challenged. This article explore resource allocation (bearing in mind that allocation poses an ethical problem because the resources to be allocated are scarce), examines key concepts such as Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY's), utilitarianism and theories of justice (the central principle in this discussion) offer different guidance on how to provide comprehensive and optimal healthcare on a 'just,' fair and moral basis.
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