Scarce Resource Situation Guidelines
In the OKLAHOMA NURSE article on Scarce Recourses by Loren Stein, RNC, MSN, refers to guidelines for Patient Care Strategies for Scarce Resource Situations in Oklahoma developed by the Adapted Standards of Care Committee, appointed by the Catastrophic Health Emergencies Task Force. These guidelines are posted here for your review and comment.
The purpose of the draft guidelines is to provide clinical guidelines for systems so that they may plan and prepare for and respond to emergencies which present resource constrained environments, with an end result of the most advantageous allocation of patient care during a public health emergency. The document is intended to be part of each healthcare facility’s adaptable multitiered emergency response plan. Adaptation of this document will empower clinicians at the point of care during emergencies and allow for more effective decision making.
Basic principles of the guidelines:
- Plan Ahead – if possible
- Stockpile – as much as is practical
- Communicate – with other providers and with government agencies
- Limit – patient care to necessary procedures and surgeries
- Adapt – unused equipment and supplies when possible
- Substitute – easily stockpiled supplies and medication when possible
- Conserve – reexamine thresholds for procedures and medications
- Reuse – consider reuse of equipment after appropriate cleaning and disinfection
- Re-allocate – as a last resort consider re-allocation of resources to patients who will most benefit
|
