Flu epidemic tests ethics of those who call the shots
>> Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Michael Schroeder
The Journal Gazette
A large-scale flu epidemic – like that seen in 1918 – could potentially sicken millions.
But limited resources – including medical personnel wrestling with going to work instead of staying home to attend to sick families – could force health care providers to make difficult decisions.
But limited resources – including medical personnel wrestling with going to work instead of staying home to attend to sick families – could force health care providers to make difficult decisions.
Who receives care or who receives a limited supply of drugs during a pandemic flu event are some of the ethical and policy issues to be discussed during a two-day summit today and Tuesday as state health officers and senior public health officials from more than 30 states and territories come together in Indianapolis।
Representatives will be coming from as far away as Alaska and the Federated States of Micronesia and include all of Indiana’s neighboring states। They will meet at the University Place Conference Center on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus to identify key ethical quandaries, share best practices and consider possible solutions.
“The biggest consideration is the limitation in medical resources,” said Dr। Judy Monroe, Indiana state health commissioner and president-elect of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. The Indiana State Department of Health, the Indiana University Center for Bioethics and the association are hosting the summit.
Unlike flooding, a pandemic flu would likely stretch resources over a much wider area, so supplies couldn’t just be brought in from adjacent communities or states। National and state stockpiles would help, but Monroe and other health officials say questions such as who gets admitted into burgeoning hospitals would be unavoidable.
Monroe hopes that by comparing notes, states will gain some parity in how they approach ethical issues from altering standards of care to health care workforce management.
That means addressing tough questions।
“The last thing we want to have happen is health care workers feel like they have to make this tragic choice” between family and professional responsibility, said Eric M. Meslin, director of the IU Center for Bioethics and associate dean for bioethics at the IU School of Medicine.
Everyone would understand if a single parent stayed home with sick children, he said। But, Meslin added, some guidelines for workforce management must be in place especially as a good portion of the employees would be home sick or caring for sick family members. He’s interested to hear what other states have done in planning for such issues। Summit attendees will get food for thought this morning when they hear about national survey results on public perceptions of pandemic flu.
A news conference take place when the summit concludes Tuesday। A follow-up meeting will be held Wednesday afternoon for local health officials, health care providers and other stakeholders around the state. At least 10 representatives are expected to attend from northeast Indiana. The session will conclude with a public forum on pandemic flu preparedness from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Dr. Deborah McMahan, Allen County health commissioner, and Brad Witte, the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health’s emergency preparedness and response coordinator, will be among those attending the meeting.
McMahan said ethical issues have been a central component in the county’s efforts to plan for a potential flu pandemic.
“Disasters come and go … You want to make sure that you handle the disaster in a way that’s consistent with the community’s values.”
mschroeder@jg.net
Representatives will be coming from as far away as Alaska and the Federated States of Micronesia and include all of Indiana’s neighboring states। They will meet at the University Place Conference Center on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus to identify key ethical quandaries, share best practices and consider possible solutions.
“The biggest consideration is the limitation in medical resources,” said Dr। Judy Monroe, Indiana state health commissioner and president-elect of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. The Indiana State Department of Health, the Indiana University Center for Bioethics and the association are hosting the summit.
Unlike flooding, a pandemic flu would likely stretch resources over a much wider area, so supplies couldn’t just be brought in from adjacent communities or states। National and state stockpiles would help, but Monroe and other health officials say questions such as who gets admitted into burgeoning hospitals would be unavoidable.
Monroe hopes that by comparing notes, states will gain some parity in how they approach ethical issues from altering standards of care to health care workforce management.
That means addressing tough questions।
“The last thing we want to have happen is health care workers feel like they have to make this tragic choice” between family and professional responsibility, said Eric M. Meslin, director of the IU Center for Bioethics and associate dean for bioethics at the IU School of Medicine.
Everyone would understand if a single parent stayed home with sick children, he said। But, Meslin added, some guidelines for workforce management must be in place especially as a good portion of the employees would be home sick or caring for sick family members. He’s interested to hear what other states have done in planning for such issues। Summit attendees will get food for thought this morning when they hear about national survey results on public perceptions of pandemic flu.
A news conference take place when the summit concludes Tuesday। A follow-up meeting will be held Wednesday afternoon for local health officials, health care providers and other stakeholders around the state. At least 10 representatives are expected to attend from northeast Indiana. The session will conclude with a public forum on pandemic flu preparedness from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Dr. Deborah McMahan, Allen County health commissioner, and Brad Witte, the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health’s emergency preparedness and response coordinator, will be among those attending the meeting.
McMahan said ethical issues have been a central component in the county’s efforts to plan for a potential flu pandemic.
“Disasters come and go … You want to make sure that you handle the disaster in a way that’s consistent with the community’s values.”
mschroeder@jg.net
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