A Catholic Perspective: Triage Principles and Moral Distress in Pandemic Scarcity

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Catholic Healthcare
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Catholic physicians view their role as an extension of Jesus' healing ministry.
• Resource scarcity in critical care, such as during pandemics, presents moral challenges.
• Balancing patient needs with limited resources requires careful ethical consideration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline ethical principles for Catholic physicians during resource allocation in critical care.
• To provide guidance on patient prioritization based on medical criteria and common good.
• To ensure decisions align with Catholic moral and social teachings.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Catholic moral and social teachings on healthcare.
• Application of ethical principles to triage scenarios with resource limitations.
• Consideration of factors like patient benefit, risks, dignity, and equity.

Main Results:

• Patient prioritization should be based solely on objective medical criteria for life-saving potential.
• Discrimination based on age, disability, race, gender, quality of life, or survival is morally unjustified.
• Triage protocols must respect patient and professional autonomy, with avenues for appeal.

Conclusions:

• Catholic physicians are guided by church teachings on dignity, common good, and protecting the vulnerable.
• Pandemic situations highlight the need for ethical frameworks to address resource scarcity and moral distress.
• Shared decision-making and objective medical criteria are essential for ethical triage.