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Public comment period is now closed.

How should health-related resources be rationed in Minnesota during a severe influenza pandemic?

You are invited to offer your advice on this important question. Your voice is important, and we want to hear from as many people as possible—whether or not you live or work in Minnesota or are familiar with pandemic planning.

Thank you in advance for considering and commenting on the draft recommendations about how Minnesota might fairly ration health resources to protect the population’s health in a severe pandemic.

What is the Minnesota Pandemic Ethics Project?

The project’s goal is to propose ethical frameworks and procedures for rationing scarce health resources in Minnesota during a severe influenza pandemic. The frameworks recommend how to decide in what order different groups of Minnesotans should be prioritized to receive resources. There are also recommendations about how to implement the ethical guidance provided by the frameworks. The preliminary recommendations have been developed by a broad-based panel and work groups of more than 100 Minnesotans. An important part of this project is to gather public input so that the final recommendations include broader perspectives.

Why your comments matter

The Minnesota Department of Health will use the project's recommendations as part of its pandemic planning process. A severe pandemic would affect everyone, and it is very important that rationing decisions reflect Minnesotans’ values and input. We want to hear from persons from all walks of life. We also are interested in hearing from non-Minnesotans because responding to a pandemic involves close collaboration with others, including other states and countries.

How your comments will be used

The recommendations will be modified in light of the feedback received. Please tell us what you agree with and what you don't, and how the ethical guidance can be improved.

This web-based public comment process is part of a larger study to understand what Minnesotans and others think about the draft recommendations. You must be 18 or older to submit comments. By submitting comments you are consenting to participate in this study.

Unless you choose to provide your name or other identifying information, your comments will be anonymous. State law requires that the study team provide copies of the comments received to anyone who requests them. If you have questions for the team, please contact us as indicated below.

Deadline

The deadline for submitting comments was April 13, 2009.

Project Leaders and Funder

The project is funded by the Minnesota Department of Health and is led by the Minnesota Center for Health Care Ethics and University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics.

Minnesota Pandemic Ethics Public Engagement Study Team:

Minnesota Center for Health Care Ethics 

J. Eline Garrett, JD
Karen Gervais, PhD
Angela Witt Prehn, PhD
Dorothy E. Vawter, PhD

University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics 

Debra A. DeBruin, PhD
Joan Liaschenko, RN, PhD, FAAN

For further information, please see: Frequently Asked Questions 

Contact us

If you have questions that are not answered in the Frequently Asked Questions or the consent information, you may email the study team at mnpanflu@umn.edu