female Covid nurse with mask

Covid-19 Ethical Framework and Supplements

Ethical Framework for Health Care Institutions Responding to Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19); Guidelines for Institutional Ethics Services Responding to Covid-19:
March 16, 2020
An ethically sound framework for health care during public health emergencies must balance the patient-centered duty of care—the focus of clinical ethics under normal conditions—with public-focused duties to promote equality of persons and equity in distribution of risks and benefits in society—the focus of public health ethics. Because physicians, nurses, and other clinicians are trained to care for individuals, the shift from patient-centered practice to patient care guided by public health considerations creates great tension, especially for clinicians unaccustomed to working under emergency conditions with scarce resources.
https://www.thehastingscenter.org/ethicalframeworkcovid19/

Responding to Covid-19 as a Regional Public Health Challenge: Preliminary Guidelines for Regional Collaboration Involving Hospitals:
April 29, 2020
This supplement to The Hastings Center’s Ethical Framework aims to help structure discussion of significant, foreseeable ethical concerns in responding to Covid-19 as a regional public health challenge and to support collaboration across institutions throughout pandemic response and recovery. It is designed for use by hospitals and other health care organizations serving the same geographic region, such as a municipality, county, metropolitan area, state, or multistate area. 
https://www.thehastingscenter.org/covid19-regional-ethics-guidelines/

Access to Therapeutic and Palliative Drugs in the Context of Covid-19: Justice and the Relief of Suffering:
July 16, 2020
This supplement to The Hastings Center’s Ethical Framework aims to help structure discussion of significant, foreseeable ethical concerns in responding to Covid-19 and to support collaboration across institutions throughout pandemic response and recovery. It is designed for use by hospitals and other health care organizations (such as community hospice and palliative care programs, nursing homes and other residential care facilities, and home health agencies) responsible for the care of patients with serious illness. These patients include those with Covid-19 and those whose treatment and care is affected by Covid-19.
https://www.thehastingscenter.org/access-to-therapeutic-and-palliative-drugs-in-the-context-of-covid-19/

Ethical Challenges in the Middle Tier of Covid-19 Vaccine Allocation: Guidance for Organizational Decision-Making:
January 15, 2021
This supplement to The Hastings Center’s Ethical Framework aims to help structure time-sensitive discussion of significant, foreseeable ethical concerns in responding to Covid-19 and to support collaboration across institutions throughout pandemic response and recovery. It is designed for use by county health systems and by hospitals, community health centers, and other health care organizations responsible for patient care or preventive health, including vaccine education, vaccine distribution, and vaccination. 
https://www.thehastingscenter.org/ethical-challenges-in-the-middle-tier-of-covid-19-vaccine-allocation