Allocation of Resources and Health Professionals’ Burden During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Reflection on Advanced Directives, Informed Consent, And Social Perception in Mexico

Allocation of Resources and Health Professionals’ Burden During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Reflection on Advanced Directives, Informed Consent, And Social Perception in Mexico
Karen Herrera-Ferrá, Leonardo Souza-García, Antonio Muñoz-Torres
Online Journal of Health Ethics, 11 August 2020; 16(2)
Open Access
Abstract
One of the main problems in the COVID-19 pandemic is the insufficient availability of resources. This deficiency has resulted in emotional and moral burdens of health professionals. Decisions are having to be made as to who will live and who will die. Moreover, given the global impact of this pandemic, negative impacts are heightened in low and middle-income countries such as Mexico. Authors focus on two issues related to, but not exclusive, to the Mexican healthcare system in an attempt to partially address scarce resources and health professionals’ burden. First, is the empowerment of patients’ autonomy through the incorporation of advanced directives (i.e. nonresuscitate order, the use of intensive care unit and/or ventilator) within informed consent. And second, the socio-cultural perception of risk as relevant for public engagement on protective behavioral patterns. We argue that addressing these issues could possibly lessen the burden of healthcare professionals and bring about greater autonomy among the public.