Resource allocation remains as one of the central areas that can be associated with the health care system, as this works towards promoting delivery of quality care in areas that would be viewed as key in the management of the system (Powell, Birkhead, & Christ, 2009). However, it must also be noted that the allocation of resources, especially when dealing with scarce resources, also raises the question on ethics. The ethical question raised revolves around how the resources ought to be allocated while considering the rights of individual stakeholders, who include healthcare management, staffs, patients and their families. The main issue, in question, reflects on the fact that it becomes hard to determine which health institutions would need specific scarce resources when compared to others. The main challenge is on trying to build on an effective front through which to deal with the ethical issues arising from allocation of scarce resources that can be projected within health care systems.
The two main ethical principles that health managements ought to consider in their bid to building on resource allocation are informed consent and respect for patient autonomy. The expectation is that this would serve towards creating a structured avenue through which to determine the value that the resources would have on individual patients. That acts as a clear challenge, especially when dealing with two or more community health facilities, which are expected to serve members of given communities. The fact that the resources are limited means that it becomes somewhat challenging in trying to maximize on overall efficiency, especially in building what would be considered as an equal front through which to deliver on the set out health care expectations.
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Ethical Complications on Scarce Resource Allocation
The main role of ethics, within the confines of health care, is to help build on a front through which to provide justification for quality and equality regarding the health services that are provided to individual patients. However, ethical complications are bound to arise when dealing with the allocation of resources, especially in cases where most of these resources are scarce. The complications arise from the fact that it becomes hard for the managements within the health care institutions find it hard to determine the exact way in which resources would be distributed in health care facilities (Powell, Birkhead, & Christ, 2009). An example can be seen when dealing with machines that are involved in the treatment of chronic conditions that include cancer among others. The distribution of these machines remains as one of the ethical complications, as those involved in the distribution are expected to maintain high standards of equality.
Often, these ethical complications arise from conflicts that can be seen from the fact that two or more health facilities find themselves requiring the scarce resources. That creates a major challenge in terms of actually being able to determine the facility that would be expected to get the resources. Health care management seeks to justify the importance of having to ensure that patients are accorded quality care that would improve on their general capacities towards improving the possibility of their effective treatment. However, this becomes a key issue of concern when dealing with scarce resources, as the allocation of these resources becomes a key issue of concern that must be projected in a manner that would justify the general provisions of quality care for all patients.
While considering the utilitarianism theory, what becomes clear is that ethical complications are much more likely to arise from instances where the health care institutions are not in any position to maximize on patients’ welfare. The adoption of the utilitarian theory in the health care sector seeks to justify on the value of having to ensure that every service offered provides some form of justification on the importance of improving quality care. However, this becomes challenge when dealing with scarce resources, as some of the institutions face a major challenge due to lack of the resources necessary to offer quality care. The main challenge to consider is that health care institutions tend to find themselves in a situation where it becomes difficult to determine what would be expected of them in maximizing on quality care while considering the health of their patients.
The ethical complications arise from the overall differentiation with regard to individual rights and community benefits, which is a key consideration when dealing with allocation of scarce resources. Calman (1994) argues that it becomes much more important to weigh the benefits that the resources are likely to have on the community rather than having to consider rights that can be considered from an individual position. Although the decision may be viewed as being justified, the key issue of focus is that it becomes hard or challenging to build on an effective framework through which to ensure that individual rights are considered. The complications often seek to create a major challenge in trying to determine the value that the resources are likely to have on the patients from a communal perspective.
Outcome Information
Knowledge associated with the outcome and effectiveness of the treatment offered to patients is considered as one of the key elements that is often considered when making the decision to allocate scarce resources. Using such knowledge, it becomes much easier for those involved in resource allocation to providing some form of justification on the specific areas that would require specified resources (Krütli, Rosemann, Törnblom, & Smieszek, 2016). That would mean that the resources are much more likely to have positive benefits for the communities within which they are allocated. However, it must be noted that the allocation process is likely to present a key challenge in measuring the outcome, which would serve as a key determinant of where the resources ought to be allocated. The challenge revolves around a lack of clear framework through which to determine the specific outcomes or effectiveness that the resources are likely to have in one health facility when compared to another.
Dealing with the ethical complications reflects more on trying to build on a systematic approach through which to evaluate clinical procedures, as this is likely to serve as a key determinant of what to expect in achieving overall success outcomes (Powell, Birkhead, & Christ, 2009). It must be noted that clinical procedures may differ from one institution to another depending on the number of patients that a facility handles or the technologies that the facility may have adopted. Consequently, this means that the evaluation of these procedures will be of great value towards determining the existing gaps in the service delivery approaches adopted within different health care institutions. The ultimate result that this is likely to have is that it will seek to change the way in which the resource allocation process is undertaken as part of building a positive framework for advanced performance levels.
Economic Evaluation
Once knowledge on expected outcomes and effectiveness of the resources has been determined, it then becomes important to embark on a process of economic evaluation. That is expected to build on a structured approach through which to determine the economic viability of the resource allocation. By evaluating the economic validity of the resource allocation process, it becomes much easier to determine the exact areas where the resources are likely to have the most economic benefits (Krütli, Rosemann, Törnblom, & Smieszek, 2016). Additionally, this also works towards ensuring that those involved in the resource allocation process are able to weigh in on the expected benefits associated with the resources that they allocate to specific health institution. The ultimate expectation is that this would seek to change the way in which health institutions are able to deal with the ethical complications. From an economic perspective, the resources would be expected to have positive outcomes, especially in areas such as cost of health care services offered, which are expected to reduce significantly.
In summary, resource allocation remains as one of the central areas that can be associated with the health care system. The main issue, in question, reflects on the fact that it becomes hard to determine which health institutions would need specific scarce resources when compared to others. The complications arise from the fact that it becomes hard for the managements within the health care institutions find it hard to determine the exact way in which resources would be distributed in health care facilities. Health care management seeks to justify the importance of having to ensure that patients are accorded quality care that would improve on their general capacities towards improving the possibility of their effective treatment. The ethical complications arise from the overall differentiation with regard to individual rights and community benefits, which is a key consideration when dealing with allocation of scarce resources.
References
Calman, K. C. (1994). The ethics of allocation of scarce health care resources: a view from the centre. Journal of medical ethics , 20 (2), 71-74.
Krütli, P., Rosemann, T., Törnblom, K. Y., & Smieszek, T. (2016). How to fairly allocate scarce medical resources: Ethical argumentation under scrutiny by health professionals and lay people. PloS one , 11 (7), e0159086.
Powell, T., Birkhead, G., & Christ, K. (2009). Ethical issues and the allocation of scarce resources during a public health emergency. Annals of internal medicine , 150 (12), 890-890.
