Healthcare Resource Ethics (Transplantation)

Question 1

Describe the merit-based approach to determining distribution of healthcare resources.

Answer 1

Social Measures- linked strongly to the concept of utilitarianism
* Enabling employees to return to work
* Measuring number of dependants that a person has and their role in society
* Usefulness in an emergency situation:
e.g. who should we vaccinate against corona virus first

Question 2

Compare and contrast equality and equity.

Answer 2

Equality simply means everyone is treated the same exact way, regardless of need or any other individual difference. Equity, on the other hand, means everyone is provided with what they need to succeed.

Question 3

What is the basis of the Fair Innings argument?

Answer 3

Requires that everyone be given an equal chance to have a fair innings, to reach the appropriate threshold but, having reached it, they have received their entitlement

Question 4

What is the basis of the greatest needs argument?

Answer 4

Priority for those most vulnerable or in the highest risk categories

DISADVANTAGES - the sickest or the person with best chance of recovery

Question 5

What are the disadvantages of the merit-based approach to resource distribution?

Answer 5

• Directly disadvantages those who are non-compliant e.g those who don’t comply with medication or those with ‘self-inflicted’ cases
• Unclear who is actually in a place to decide who’s more at merit
• People may have genuinely valid reasons not to have been compliant