Disability, Disablism, and COVID-19 Pandemic Triage

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Ethics
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Pandemics like COVID-19 disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.
• Pre-existing social injustices exacerbate health risks for people with disabilities.
• Disablism manifests in clinical and public health settings, impacting care access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the influence of disablism on pandemic triage protocols for critical care allocation.
• To identify discriminatory assumptions within triage guidance.
• To highlight the potential negative consequences for individuals with disabilities during health emergencies.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing pandemic triage guidance.
• Identification and critique of underlying disablist assumptions.
• Examination of the impact of these assumptions on resource allocation for people with disabilities.

Main Results:

• Triage guidance often incorporates biased assumptions regarding disability.
• These assumptions relate to health status, quality of life, and social utility.
• Such biases can lead to unjust disadvantage and catastrophic outcomes for people with disabilities.

Conclusions:

• Disablism embedded in triage guidance poses a significant threat to equitable healthcare during pandemics.
• Revising triage protocols to eliminate disablist assumptions is crucial.
• Ensuring fair allocation of critical care requires addressing systemic discrimination against people with disabilities.