Operative public values as a tool for healthcare decisions: the social value and clinical criteria of triage

Abstract

Read online

Abstract With the current pandemic, many scholars have contended that clinical criteria offer the best way to implement triage. Further, they dismiss the criteria of social value as a good one for triage. In this paper, I respond to refute this perspective. In particular, I present two sets of arguments. Firstly, I argue that the objections to the social value criteria they present apply to the clinical criteria they favor. Secondly, they exaggerate the negative aspects of the social value criteria, while I suggest it is reasonable to use this. I end the article by recommending how operative public values can be a good way to make triaging decisions.

Keywords

• Triage
• COVID-19
• Clinal criteria
• Social value
• Racial and class bias
• Pandemic