Insurance-based inequities in emergency interhospital transfers: an argument for the prioritisation of patient care
Currently there is an inequity in transfer rates of uninsured patients versus their insured counterparts. While this may vary by hospital system, studies indicate that this is a national trend, especially in emergency situations, and represents a prioritisation of profits over ethical obligations. T...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
BMJ Publ.
2021
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| In: |
Journal of medical ethics
Year: 2021, Volume: 47, Issue: 11, Pages: 766-769 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Currently there is an inequity in transfer rates of uninsured patients versus their insured counterparts. While this may vary by hospital system, studies indicate that this is a national trend, especially in emergency situations, and represents a prioritisation of profits over ethical obligations. This creates a variety of ethical issues for patients and society that generates a concordance between deontological and utilitarian viewpoints, two generally opposed schools of thought. The prioritisation of profit maximisation in order to provide better care for a select population is insufficient to justify deleterious health outcomes, stress and financial burden on patients. Current policy regarding patient transfers in the emergency department is insufficient to protect the uninsured and must be reevaluated.No data are available. |
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| ISSN: | 1473-4257 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of medical ethics
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2020-107074 |