Crisis Standards of Care

Crisis standards of care (CSC) is when health care systems are so overwhelmed by a pervasive or catastrophic public health event it is impossible for them to provide the normal, or standard, level of care to patients. In situations like this, legal and regulatory protections and guidance by state government would occur to recognize health care systems are in crisis operations that may last for some time. MDH supports CSC planning as it is impossible to predict the timing and severity of a future outbreak and waiting for the disaster to strike would be too late.

Scarce resource allocation toolkit

In contingency or crisis standards of care, healthcare systems may need to implement plans to conserve or allocate various resources — for example, pharmaceuticals, blood products, equipment, and staff. Below are crucial resources to help healthcare professionals make ethical decisions in these situations.