The rule of rescue

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Bioethics
• Decision Analysis

Background:

• The Rule of Rescue (RR) describes the societal imperative to save identifiable individuals facing imminent death.
• This phenomenon often conflicts with resource allocation principles like cost-effectiveness analysis.
• The RR preference for identifiable over statistical lives raises ethical and economic questions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a detailed analysis of the Rule of Rescue.
• To explore its conflicts with cost-effectiveness and its preference for identifiable lives.
• To examine its extension to non-life-threatening conditions and its motivational basis (duty vs. sympathy).

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of the Rule of Rescue.
• Discussion of measurement challenges and a proposed two-stage quantification procedure.
• Normative evaluation from a utilitarian and fairness perspective.

Main Results:

• The RR conflicts with cost-effectiveness by prioritizing identifiable over statistical lives.
• Quantification may require assessing individual utility (e.g., Standard Gamble, Time Trade-Off) and social benefits (e.g., Person Trade-Off).
• While defensible from a utilitarian standpoint for reinforcing community values, the RR raises fairness concerns due to discrimination based on identifiability.

Conclusions:

• The Rule of Rescue presents a complex ethical challenge, balancing the desire to save identifiable lives with principles of fairness and economic efficiency.
• Further research is needed to refine methods for quantifying the RR and addressing its normative implications.
• Understanding the RR is crucial for equitable healthcare resource allocation and policy development.