Ethical Issues in Pandemic Influenza Preparedness

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GUIDANCE DOCUMENT: Meeting the Challenge of Pandemic Influenza: Ethical Guidance for Leaders and Health Care Professionals in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) (July 2010)     

OTHER INFORMATION FROM THE VHA PANDEMIC INFLUENZA ETHICS INITIATIVE -

VA FACT SHEET FOR HEALTH CARE STAFF: Meeting the Ethical Challenges of a Severe Pandemic Influenza 

A 4 page summary of ethical challenges and principles for ethical decision making related to a severe pandemic influenza.

STAFF DISCUSSION FORUM MATERIALS: Ethical Issues in Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response – Material to Guide Staff Discussions 

To raise awareness and understanding about allocation of scarce resources and other difficult clinical and ethical decisions that will need to be made in a severe pandemic, the National Center for Ethics in Health Care and VA's Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards have prepared material to support staff discussion forums on ethics issues in pandemic flu preparedness.

The packet contains information for forum planners and participants:

For planners:

• Why staff discussion forums are important
  
• Sample discussion forum agenda
  
• Sample discussion forum overview
  
• Planning points for setting up and conducting staff discussion forms
  
• PowerPoint slides to be used at the forums, Tough Decisions: Preparing VA for the Ethical Challenges of Pandemic Influenza  

For participants:

• Scenarios and questions as a basis for discussing ethical values in influenza pandemic preparedness

In a severe pandemic flu VHA, like other health care organizations, will face a surge in demand to provide care for large numbers of very sick people with high rates of complications and need for supportive care -- in the context of a highly transmissible disease. The likely demand for resources in excess of those ordinarily used on a daily basis -- i.e., the demand on a health care facility's surge capacity -- means health care standards may need to be modified to respond to the public health threat and the imbalance between care that is needed and the resources available. Tough decisions may need to be made about reporting for duty, mandatory vaccination of health care workers, quarantine, diminished patient privacy, and triage and rationing care.

Through staff discussion forums VA health care providers can share information and concerns, build mutual understanding about the difficult ethical decisions they may have to make, and better prepare to respond to the ethical and professional challenges of a pandemic.

In addition, the NCEHC's June 2006 National Ethics Teleconference , provides background information on ethics concerns in pandemic flu preparedness.