Ethical Analysis of Emergency Allocation Protocols and Their Impact on Vulnerable Populations
Abstract
In this article, I will use conceptual analysis to examine theoretical frameworks in ethical scholarly works on resource allocation in healthcare crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, namely utilitarian, egalitarian, and justice theories. By centering on the key concepts in these ethical frameworks (i.e., equality, greatest happiness, justice), I will submit to criticism current allocation methods such as the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. Specifically, I will explore the limitations of these methods concerning their failure to consider vulnerable populations, in particular African Americans. To conclude, by focusing on this population group, I will identify ethical principles that healthcare providers must consider in designing ethical allocation methods. Keywords: pandemic ethics, utilitarianism, resource allocation, egalitarianism, justice.