Law

DRUGS: Patients with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus who rely on hydroxychloroquine continue to face obstacles obtaining their medication due to increased demand for the drug as a potential COVID-19 treatment. Despite studies casting doubt on the Read More
Two significant court cases were released last week. Supreme Court says religious services may be restricted without violating First Amendment: I discuss the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision not to disturb California’s Executive Order restricting the size of live religious gatherings Read More
TESTING: Tennessee is taking a bold approach to testing for COVID-19, making testing available to any person who wants it, even without symptoms or specific exposure risks. Test shortages have led most states to limit availability, but Tennessee’s approach has Read More
Ethical framework for managing the health services response to Covid-19 proposed by UK experts  The authors of “Ethical anchors and explicit objectives: ensuring optimal health outcomes in the Covid 19 pandemic” attempt to fill a gap caused by what they Read More
Resource allocation and disability rights: Growing consensus against categorical exclusions There is growing consensus among ethical, legal, health policy experts that protocols for triage or allocation of scarce resources during a public health emergency must be improved to ensure they Read More
Ethical Challenges: Protecting patients and providers The COVID-19 pandemic poses significant ethical challenges for health care professionals, including nurses, who represent the largest share of the global health care workforce. While facing the danger of infection is an accepted part Read More
Below is a roundup of some recent developments with law and ethics themes related to the enforcement of public health authority during the pandemic, vulnerable populations, and states reopening. The Americans with Disabilities Act & HIPAA do not bar businesses Read More
This New England Journal of Medicine article argues that “color-blind” crisis standards of care (CSC) plans fail to account for disproportionate burdens on communities of color and risk exacerbating existing health inequities. Existing state CSC plans often explicitly reject consideration Read More
This article reviews existing guidance for ICU triage decisions during a public health emergency that overwhelms available ICU capacity and proposes an algorithm intended to facilitate rapid implementation and assessment. The authors propose a triage algorithm intended to prioritize saving Read More
This article is a companion manuscript to the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) official position statement on resource allocation strategies and age-related considerations, developed by the AGS Ethics Committee in collaboration with others. The AGS position statement relies on a view Read More

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