RESOURCES ALLOCATION

Allocating Scarce Medical Resources

Allocating Scarce Medical Resources

Introduction

The allocation of resources is an economic concept regarding the use of resources including rare and factors of production (labor, capital, raw materials) to meet short and long term consumption needs of the population. Allocating Scarce Medical Resources is a difficult task to perform. It is an ethical challenge in the health care when the demand exceeds the supply. Being a member of the hospital ethics community, I constantly have to make difficult decisions. Recently, a 20 year old woman died in a car wreck, and her heart is available for transplant. There are three patients who are a match with the donor. I have to decide which of these patients will get the donor's heart.

Discussion

This decision is hard to make as it is unknown when another match will be available for the patient. Firstly, I will have to evaluate each patient to decide which one of them should get the heart.

Evaluation of Patients

Patient 1 is a 45 year old man named Arthur. He has struggled with alcoholism for a long time, up till his 30s. However, 15 years ago, he changed his life style; he has not drunk any alcohol since then and is keeping a healthy diet with regular exercises. He is a school psychologist and has a doctoral degree. His heart was damaged due to a serious illness which was not related to his past alcoholism problem. He can be a potential recipient as he is young and has changed his unhealthy habits. He has a thriving career and is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. He can be given the heart on the basis of Instrumental value or Reciprocity.

Patient 2 is a 77 years old man named Barney. He runs a group home for mentally disabled adults. He exercises regularly but does not have a nutritious diet. He is an active member of his church and takes care of his daughters children. His heart is worn-out and old which is why he needs a transplant. This patient can be given the heart on the basis of worst off or sickest first allocation.

Patient 3 is a 21 year old man named Colin. He is undisciplined and has not figured out what he wants to do with his life. He has flunked out of two colleges. He is working two jobs and is saving up to own his own apartment. He needs a heart plants because of a congenital defect. This patient can be given the heart on the basis of youngest first allocation.

Patient Selected for Transplant

The patient that I have selected for the heart plant is patient 1, Arthur. I selected him on the basis of the complete lives system. As per this system, Arthur is not the youngest patient waiting for the transplant, but he fulfills the most of the criteria of this system. Colin could have been the ideal choice as per this system, but he does not have a purpose in life and has not even completed his ...