DESCRIPTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented pressure on health care, raising the pressing question of how society should allocate scarce resources during a crisis. This webinar features highlights from the new AGS position statement, "Resource Allocation Strategies and Age-Related Considerations in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond." After reviewing existing frameworks, recommendations, and research, a panel of interprofessional experts, AGS leaders, and members of the AGS Ethics Committee developed seven principles aimed at helping health professionals allocate resources equitably when they remain in short supply. The recommendations reviewed on this webinar defend a particular view of distributive justice that seeks to maximize clinical factors and de-emphasize or eliminate factors placing arbitrary, disproportionate weight on advanced age. These recommendations not only are intended for immediate implementation but also will be useful for post-pandemic reviews of existing frameworks and better approaches for the future.