Overwhelmed U.S. hospitals are turning to ‘crisis standards of care.’ Explaining what it means

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Wed, 2021-09-22 22:53 — mike kraft

Hospitals overwhelmed by covid are turning to ‘crisis standards of care.’ What does that mean? Some places have adopted statewide crisis standards of care, in which health systems can prioritize patients for scarce resources — based largely on their likelihood of survival — and even deny treatment. Hannah Knowles Washington Post

Long-feared rationing of medical care has become a reality in some parts of the United States as the delta variant drives a new wave of coronavirus cases, pushing hospitals to the brink.

Idaho last week activated statewide “crisis standards of care,” in which health systems can prioritize patients for scarce resources — based largely on their likelihood of survival — and even deny treatment. The decisions affect covid and non-covid patients. Some hospitals in Montana and Alaska have turned to crisis standards as well, while Hawaii’s governor this month released health workers from liability if they have to ration care.

Some states have no crisis standards of care plans, while others just created them during the pandemic. The common goal: Give health-care workers last-resort guidance to make potentially wrenching decisions. But people disagree on the best calculus. ...